Canada’s a friend of Israel, Netanyahu says

TORONTO — The people of Israel will not compromise their own security for peace, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday at the Walk With Israel, sponsored by UJA Federation of Greater Toronto.

At the UJA Walk for Israel

TORONTO — The people of Israel will not compromise their own security for peace, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday at the Walk With Israel, sponsored by UJA Federation of Greater Toronto.

At the UJA Walk for Israel

“We must ensure that we achieve a peace that’s anchored in security. The only peace that can endure is a peace we can defend,” Netanyahu told an audience of some 7,000 at Ricoh Coliseum in downtown Toronto.

Netanyahu, who spoke in Toronto before meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Ottawa on Monday, stressed that any future Palestinian state must be a demilitarized one.

“And I don’t just mean a paper agreement. We had one in Lebanon, it didn’t work. We had one in Gaza, it didn’t work,” he said. “Palestine will have to recognize Israel as the nation state for the Jewish People.”

Netanyahu warned about repeating mistakes made in Lebanon and Gaza..

“When Israel left Lebanon, Iran moved in. When Israel left Gaza, Iran moved in,” he said, adding that Israel and its allies must be wary of a regime that supports Holocaust deniers.

“We must ensure such a regime does not acquire weapons of mass death,” he said.

Netanyahu, who is the first sitting Israeli prime minister to visit Toronto since Menachem Begin 32 years ago, was supposed to meet with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington, D.C., after visiting Canada, but he cut his trip short and returned to Israel after 10 international activists were killed when Israeli Navy commandos stormed a ship bringing aid to the Gaza Strip.

In Toronto, Netanyahu stressed that Israel faces unique challenges as a Jewish state, including constant attacks on the country’s legitimacy.

“They take place on college campuses… in the media. It’s important to fight back against these lies. We must defend the truth in every forum,” he said.

In his speech, he acknowledged Canada’s role in this fight.

“[Harper] has been an unwavering friend of Israel and a great champion of Israel’s right to defend itself. We deeply appreciate his support.”

Explaining the importance of participating in the Walk With Israel, he said, “Year after year, you march for Israel. Year after year you march for truth… and by doing that, you show us we’re not alone.”

Netanyahu’s presence was met with applause, but also with protests, before and during the walk. But several Canadian politicians made their support clear.

Peter Kent, minister of state of foreign affairs for the Americas, who spoke along with Netanyahu at the opening ceremonies, said those who threaten Israel threaten Canada.

“Last week, the Economist magazine published an article called Canada and Israel: Unlikely Allies… The title couldn’t be more wrong,” Kent told the crowd. “Canada and Israel are the most natural of allies. At home or abroad, our government has stood proudly [with Israel.] Israel can always count on our unequivocal support.”

Speaking before the event, Kent said it’s been too long since an Israeli prime minister visited Canada.

“It’s a good chance to speak to the community and meet with our government, [and] to give our government a chance to talk about common threats,” he said. “The relationship [between Canada and Israel] goes back 62 years. Canada has, from the creation of the state of Israel, embraced [it].”  

Kent added that the visit will give Canadians a chance to see Israel as more than just a state at war.

“Too often, we think of Israel in terms of war, but there’s so much to celebrate in the arts… in the academics, the list goes on and on,” he said.

Howard English, federation’s vice-president of corporate communications, said Netanyahu’s visit is a testament to the strength of Toronto’s Jewish community, adding that federation expected a larger turnout than the usual 10,000 participants.

“It’s a thrill that Netanyahu decided to launch the walk,” he said. “An event like this says this is a community that’s unbreakably tied to Israel. There’s a strong sense of commitment to Israel… despite criticism of what Israel may be doing.”

An estimated 10,000 to 15,000 people marched on the walk, which raised about $350,000 for UJA initiatives in disadvantaged areas of Bat Yam, a suburb of Tel Aviv.

Daphna Grossman, who participated in the walk, sees the event as a chance for Torontonians to show solidarity for the Jewish state.

“The reason Jews are safe is because of Israel. We have to show solidarity. It’s important for Jews to know their history,” she said.

For Alicia Desmarteau, who marched with International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, a group that supports Israel, it’s just as important for Christians to know their history.

“I think that, as Christians, we need to recognize that the roots of our faith come from the Jewish faith. So we have to acknowledge… that we have the same values,” she said, adding that it was exciting to hear Netanyahu speak.

“I so admire his leadership,” she said.

Sarah Kula, a 16-year-old volunteer, learned the importance of Zionism at the Anne and Max Tanenbaum Community Hebrew Academy of Toronto, where she’s a student. “I feel a deep connection to Israel… [The walk] means something,” she said.

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