Prime Minister addresses the parliamentary dinner of the Canadian Council for Israel and Jewish Advocacy

On the occasion of the biennial Parliamentary dinner of the Canadian Council for Israel and Jewish Advocacy, Prime Minister Stephen Harper made the following statement:

“Over the past year, we got a pretty sharp reminder that it’s one thing to offer supportive words to Israel when it’s convenient, and quite another to stand firm in its hour of need.  Last summer, when Israel came under attack from terrorist groups, this government stood against those organizations and their objectives, and we stood with our friend in the democratic family of nations, the State of Israel.

“A battle between a democratic state and terrorist groups who seek to destroy both it and its people is not a matter of shades of grey; it is a matter of right and wrong.  When faced with such threats, Israel will always have a steadfast friend in Canada’s New Government.”

“And just as we support Israel’s right to defend her borders, so too do we support a fair and just future for the Palestinian people. We support the creation of a viable, democratic Palestinian state that will live peacefully beside a secure, prosperous Israel.”

Council for Israel and Jewish Advocacy (CIJA) is a non-partisan, umbrella organization for Jewish community advocacy efforts, helping to improve the quality of Jewish life in Canada and abroad, increase support for Israel, and strengthen the Canada-Israel relationship. CIJA coordinates the strategic direction of such organizations as Canadian Jewish Congress, Canada-Israel Committee and Quebec-Israel Committee, and National Committee for Jewish Campus Life.