Blog post

Michael Ignatieff: Intellectual hypocrisy

Anne Sullivan12 January 2012

Al Jazeera posted an excerpt from Michael Ignatieff: The Lesser Evil? on December 31, 2011: 

As Canada's Liberal leader, the intellectual- turned-politician became an uncritical supporter of Israeli aggression.  

The case of Michael Ignatieff, who resigned as Liberal leader in May 2011 after a devastating electoral defeat, is exemplary. Ignatieff came to Canadian politics after a long career as a public intellectual in the United Kingdom and the United States. And although he was a high profile supporter of war and empire, prior to returning to Canada his work still featured occasional, but sharp critiques of Israeli occupation.

As Liberal leader, he became an uncritical supporter of Israel, even joining in the now routine attempts by the Harper government to demonise and criminalise Palestine solidarity activism in Canada.