TORONTO — Canada joined eight other western nations in Israel recently in a forum to discuss the international terrorism threat.

In an address to the First International Security Conference, held May 28 to 30 in Jerusalem, Canadian Ambassador John Allen, RIGHT, called for “co-operation and co-ordination” to address an “ongoing threat.”

“We live in a time when terrorists see the whole world as their field of action, and so must we. Because they enjoy global reach, we need unparalleled co-operation. Because they often operate at a sub-state level, we must adopt a transnational approach ourselves,” Allen said.

The conference, held in Jerusalem, brought together interior ministers and officials involved with internal security to “promote and strengthen the co-operation between the countries and to share the knowledge, capabilities and experience accumulated among the countries during their war against terror while facing other homeland security challenges,” organizers said.

Joining Canada and the host Israelis were representatives from the United States, Germany, England, Italy, Spain and Poland.

Addressing the forum, Allen noted that Canada has signed a declaration of intent “to enhance co-operation between Israel and  Canada in the area of public safety. This declaration will allow us to improve our combined efforts in the areas of organized crime, emergency management, crime prevention and other related public safety concerns.

“This declaration seeks to establish a more structure framework for the continued co-operation on public safety issues between Canada and Israel, and we look forward to building on it in the days ahead,” the ambassador added.

Referring to previous terror attacks and conspiracies in New York, Barcelona and Montreal, Allen said “new intelligence reveals plans for other attacks, in different parts of the globe. We do not doubt for a moment the determination of our enemies, nor do we misinterpret any period of calm as the end of their designs. The fact is that the danger has not passed and we must be vigilant.”

Conference host Avi Dichter, Israel’s minister of public security, said “the past five years of the first decade of the 21st century were probably the most lethal years in the history of terror.” He pointed to the 9/11 attacks that killed 3,000 people in New York City and Washington, and to other deadly incidents in Madrid, Bali and London, as well as to the 900 Israelis killed during the first three years of the intifadah as examples.

“I have learned that terrorist groups have no strategic plan. They simply execute an attack as soon as capability and opportunity meet,” Dichter said.

Dichter accused Syria of hosting and sheltering terrorist command centres of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and he said the current peace initiative is “undoubtedly a strategic process on a global scale” designed to draw Syria closer to the western world.

The main terrorist threat emanates from Iran, he continued. Its regime uses terrorist organizations “to execute attacks in countries all over the world, including here in Israel. Striking Iran as a country of terror is a global necessity. Whether it is because of their development of nuclear weapons or whether it is because of their spearheading world terrorism, we are currently at a crucial and dangerous stage.”