In 2009, Canada and Israel celebrated 60 years of formal diplomatic relations. Late last year, the two countries jointly published a 59-page commemorative book of historic photos and facts about the decades-long relationship.
The book, Canada-Israel Diplomatic Relations: Celebrating 60 years of successful relations, is a trilingual ode – it’s written in English, French and Hebrew – to the nations’ achievements as allies and democracies.
A copy was sent to The CJN in December 2010 by the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT).
The book’s forward states that Canadians and Israelis are now, more than ever, bound by numerous ties.
“These ties and the long-standing commitments between our governments have resulted in an abundance of bilateral agreements and co-operation,” it states.
A chronological, pictorial sequence of diplomatic events follows, from Canada’s participation in 1947 on the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine – then-Canadian Supreme Court justice Ivan C. Rand helped garner support on the committee for partition and the eventual creation of the State of Israel – through to current Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon’s 2009 visit to Israel.
Canada officially began diplomatic relations with Israel in 1949 when it formally recognized the state.
The volume also lists and depicts numerous legal, economic and cultural milestones shared between both countries including partnerships on space research, symphony orchestra and ballet troupe exchanges and the 1997 Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement (CIFTA). The latter has helped triple bilateral trade between the nations to $1.8 billion in 2008, up from $567 million in 1997.
Closing passages penned by the current Israeli and Canadian prime ministers, Benjamin Netanyahu and Stephen Harper, express the hope of continued friendship and co-operation between the countries.
“All of my life Israel has been a symbol – a symbol of hope and faith,” Harper writes.
“Canada stands side-by-side with the State of Israel… We have stood with Israel even when it has not been popular to do so, and we will continue to stand with Israel, just as I have always said we would.”
Israeli Ambassador to Canada Miriam Ziv said the book was a collaborative effort between her embassy and DFAIT which sought to “tell the story of the special relationship between Canada and Israel. It is a keepsake of the unique friendship between our two countries that members of the community can enjoy for years to come.”
For those interested, there are still a number of free copies of the book available. For more information on how to obtain one, contact the Israeli Embassy in Ottawa at [email protected]