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Israel |
Canada–Israel relations refers to diplomatic, commercial and cultural ties between Canada and the State of Israel. Canada maintains an embassy in Tel Aviv and Israel maintains an embassy in Ottawa.
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Canada's relationship with Israel began in 1947, when Canada was represented on the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine (UNSCOP). Canada was one of the 33 countries that voted in favour of the 1947 UN partition resolution, which lead to the creation of the State of Israel despite heavy pressure from the United Kingdom on the Commonwealth of Nations to abstain.
Canada granted de facto recognition to Israel in December 1948, and full de jure recognition on May 11, 1949, after it was admitted into the United Nations (UN). A week later, Avraham Harman was appointed Israel's first Consul General to Canada. In September 1953, the Canadian Embassy opened in Tel Aviv and Michael Comay became Israeli Ambassador to Canada. A Canadian ambassador to Israel was not appointed until 1958.
In May 1961, David Ben-Gurion was the first Israeli Prime Minister to make an official visit to Canada, and since then officials from both countries have visited frequently. Members of Parliament, Cabinet Ministers and Justices of the Supreme Court of Canada have visited Israel demonstrating the ever strengthening relationship. In addition, the premiers of Manitoba, Prince Edward Island, Ontario and Alberta and cabinet ministers from other provinces, have led successful commercial and cultural missions to Israel. A number of Canadian municipalities are twinning with Israeli cities.
In 1957, after the Sinai Campaign, Lester Pearson, the Canadian Secretary of State for External Affairs, received the Nobel Peace Prize for his proposal that UN troops be stationed in the disputed territory. Canadian troops were part of the United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF) that kept the peace in Sinai and the Gaza Strip. The Canadian government has supported all UN efforts to find a solution to the Arab-Israel conflict.
Relations between the Jewish community and the Canadian government became strained after the First Intifada began in 1987. The conflict undermined public support for Israel and certain Israeli policies divided the Jewish community, making it difficult for Jewish organizations to present a unified front in discussions with the government.
When Iraqi missiles attacked Israel during the 1991 Gulf War, public opinion shifted overwhelmingly in favour of Israel. But, in 1992, when Ottawa hosted a series of multilateral peace negotiations on the topic of refugees, Israel took issue with the Palestinian representation and refused to participate.
In November 1995, a Canadian Federal Court decision stated that Jews from any country could not claim refugee status in Canada because they have automatic citizenship in Israel (see Law of Return).
In October 2010, Canada lost to Portugal in a vote for a seat at the Security Council. Several observers attributed this loss to the pro-Israel policy of Canada at the UN,[1][2][3] including Canadian PM Stephen Harper. At a conference on combating anti-Semitism in Ottawa, November 8, 2010, he said “I know, by the way, because I have the bruises to show for it, that whether it is at the United Nations, or any other international forum, the easiest thing to do is simply to just get along and go along with this anti-Israeli rhetoric (...) There are, after all, a lot more votes — a lot more — in being anti-Israeli than in taking a stand. But, as long as I am prime minister, whether it is at the UN or the Francophonie or anywhere else, Canada will take that stand, whatever the cost. [4]
A 2005 Gallup Poll of Canaanswered dian views on the Arab-Israeli conflict found that 34% sympathized most with Israel, 30% sympathized most with Palestinian Arabs, and 36% said they did not have sympathy for either party or had no opinion.[5]
A COMPAS poll in 2006 found that the majority of Canadians believe Israel has a right to self defense and say Iran and Syria are wrong to have armed Hezbollah. 45% of Canadians disagree with Harper's pro-Israeli stance. The poll states that only 31% of Canadians agreed with Harper's statement that the attacks on Lebanon was about Israel's right to defense. Hezbollah is classified as a terrorist organization and its operation is banned in Canada. More than 69 per cent of respondents said that Canada should continue to classify Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, and of those supporting the terrorist label for Hezbollah, 41 per cent said supporting the organization from Canadian soil should be illegal. The poll further shows that 13 per cent of Canadians believe that Iran has been arming Hezbollah and is wrong to do so. Another 68 per cent of those asked believe that Syria was wrong to disobey a United Nations resolution requiring Syria to keep guns out of Lebanon. Of those polled, 65 per cent said Canada should not send peacekeepers into Lebanon, or should only send peacekeepers into the area if Hezbollah is disarmed. Only 27 per cent of those polled said that Canadian peacekeepers should be sent to the region if Hezbollah is still armed. According to the COMPAS poll, the only issue that Canadians are divided on is the question of who started the war. Thirty-eight per cent of those polled believed Hezbollah started the war. Thirty-five per cent believe Israel started the war.[6]
Conservative MP Tim Uppal introduced a motion in the House of Commons condemning IAW "for seeking to delegitimize the State of Israel by equating it with the racist South African apartheid regime." NDP and Bloc Québécois members refused to agree to its unanimous passage. The Bloc then submitted its own motion, which also criticized use of the word "apartheid" but added a clause, stating not every criticism of Israel is anti-Semitic. The result was that all parties, with the exception of some NDP members, denounced Israeli Apartheid Week.[7]
On April 29, 2009, to mark the 61st anniversary of the State of Israel, PM Stephen Harper said "We count ourselves among Israel’s closest partners. Since its founding in 1948, Canada has supported Israel and its right to live in peace and security with its neighbours. We value this relationship and look forward to continued friendship and collaboration."[8]
In an interview published February 12, 2010 in an Israeli magazine, Mr. Kent said: “Prime Minister Harper has made it quite clear for some time now and has regularly stated that an attack on Israel would be considered an attack on Canada.” [9][10]
In 2008, Israeli Ambassador to Canada, Alan Baker, said he "fears" Canadian Muslims might impact Canada's foreign policy. He said that the "problem" was that Canadian Muslims may "push" their values onto Canadians, which "wouldn't gel with Canadian values of mutual respect." He also criticized "a Muslim member of Parliament" (reference to Omar Alghabra),[11] and said that "Muslim activists" had prevented him from speaking.[12] His comments were criticized by the Canadian Opposition and Muslim community. Bob Rae, Liberal MP and foreign affairs critic, called the comments inappropriate and inaccurate. Alghabra said Baker's comments were "generalizing" and "divisive". The Canadian Arab Federation accused Baker of sowing division amongst Canadians.[12] An editorial in the Toronto Star asserted that Israeli diplomats should not "interfere in Canadian affairs".[11]
Canada exports agricultural products and raw materials to Israel, which, in turn, exports diamonds, textiles, clothing, and food products to Canada. On July 31, 1996, Canada and Israel signed a free trade agreement, called the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement (CIFTA). It came into effect on January 1, 1997. Bilateral trade subsequently increased to $1.24 billion by 2005.
In September 1997, Mossad agents were apprehended by Jordanian authorities after attempting to assassinate Khaled Mashal, a senior Hamas member. They were found to have used Canadian passports as part of the assassination attempt. This was the second such incident and the Israelis have promised to not fraudulently use Canadian passports again. Canada recalled its Ambassador to Israel in protest over the usage of Canadian passports in the attempt. [13])
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