The Liberal party still seems to think it can whiffle and waffle to a 'balanced' position on Israel and Gaza that will satisfy just about everyone. It can't

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Radio-Canada brought news this week of a schism among the federal Liberals’ backroom staffers: 52 have apparently refused to campaign for the party in the upcoming LaSalle—Émard—Verdun byelection, in protest over the party’s perceived insufficient support for Gaza.

These are so-called “exempt staff,” not regular civil servants. They serve entirely at the party’s pleasure, and the party will not be pleased by this — especially since this news arrives not long after the Liberals lost the Toronto-St. Paul’s byelection over the party’s perceived insufficient support for Israel.

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On the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Liberals are getting it coming and going. An Angus Reid Institute poll conducted in May found Jewish and Muslim voters were both becoming less likely to vote Liberal.

Byelections are very susceptible to odd swings. Thanks to their usually minute turnout figures, they can be dominated by one or two issues, and thus are rarely........

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