In a recent speech to mark the 60th anniversary of the state of Israel, Canadian PM Stephen Harper suggested that hatred for the state of Israel is tantamount to hatred for the Jewish people:

"Unfortunately, Israel at 60 remains a country under threat - threatened by those groups and regimes who deny to this day its right to exist ... And why? Make no mistake, look beyond the thinly veiled rationalizations: Because they hate Israel, just as they hate the Jewish people."

Linking Israel and "the Jewish people" in this fashion, raises questions about Harper's Zionist sympathies and evangelical affiliations. It is reminiscent of the language used by certain pro-Israel US pastors.

Since Harper's focus was Israel and its 60th anniversary, it's worth pointing out that Israel is not in fact "Jewish", unless you consider non-Jewish Israelis to be widgets rather than citizens. The Jewish population of Israel is around the 76% mark. There are also 16.3% Muslims, 2.1% Christian, 1.7% Druze.

The identification of the state of Israel with Jewishness entails a leap that some Israelis themselves would question - not just progressive Israeli secularists and Arab Israelis, but also those orthodox Jews who have consistently drawn a line between their Jewish faith and the Zionist state.

Here in Canada, Yakov M. Rabkin, a Professor of History at the University of Montreal, is the author of "Threat Within: A Century of Jewish Opposition to Zionism". A passage from the book illustrates the impact of Zionism upon pure, Torah-based Judaism:

"Worse than the toll of suffering, exploitation, death, and desecration of the Torah, has been the inner rot that Zionism has injected into the Jewish soul. It has dug deep into the essence of being a Jew ... It has wreaked havoc among Jews both in Israel and America, by casting us in the role of Goliath-like oppressors. It has made cruelty and corruption the norm for its followers."

Harper's linking of hatred of Israel with hatred of Jews is a way of closing down political criticism of Israel by inferring that its critics are anti-Semitic.

The truth is many Jews do in fact question the state of Israel, while continuing to defend its existence. One such group is the Alliance of Concerned Jewish Canadians, that speaks out against Israeli policies they consider unjust. Are they also anti-Semitic?

Harper has taken such an extreme position on Israel that it is an embarrassment to many Canadians who value the traditional role Canada has played in international affairs. The one-sided views of the Prime Minister were echoed by comments made by Alan Baker, Israeli ambassador to Canada. Baker told The Globe and Mail that Muslims were having a growing influence on the foreign policies of European nations, and he 'feared' this might also turn out to be the case in Canada.

Baker seems to be inferring that Canadian Muslims are somehow crossing a line if they presume to advance their rights and interests as Canadian citizens. He refers to Canadian Muslims as having "their own values and principles". Note to Mr Baker: Canada isn't a lobby for the state of Israel (yet) ... Canada is a fully fledged democracy and the views of Canadian Muslims are no less valid than the views of Canadian Jews.

It should be noted in this context that according to the 2001 census, Muslims in Canada number 580,000 as compared with Jewish Canadians at 330,000.

Baker said: "I've got nothing against the fact that Muslims are members of the Canadian Parliament". Well that's very big of him. Canada isn't doing its Muslim citizens a favor by including them in the political process - it is their right.

Baker appears to be projecting the second-class status of Arab Israelis onto Canadian Muslims - a mistake, because unlike 'democracy' in Israel - democracy in Canada isn't a front for an entrenched supremacist ideology - at least not yet. At its best Canada is about equal opportunity and fair play for all.

The disproportionate influence of the pro-Israel lobby in Canada, and the extent to which that influence has impacted the policies of the Tory Party should be a matter of grave concern to those Canadians who believe that the role of Canada on the international stage should be a broader and less partisan one than that currently being pursued by Stephen Harper.