The JCLL and THW Shul applauds and expresses its appreciation to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Government of Canada for taking a bold and principled position that denies legitimacy to those who demonize Israel and the Jewish people.
The following is an excerpt from the Prime Minister’s remarks to the Inter-Parliamentary Coalition to Combat Anti-Semitism (ICCA) in Ottawa:
“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. And friends, I say this not just because it is the right thing to do, but because history shows us, and the ideology of the anti-Israeli mob tells us all too well if we listen to it, that those who threaten the existence of the Jewish people are a threat to all of us.”
Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff also spoke about anti-Semitism and Israel de-ligitimization:
“…there is a form of criticism of the state of Israel which passes into active de-legitimatization of a recognized democratic state. I refer, of course, in my own country to Israel Apartheid Week. Israel is Israel. Apartheid South Africa was a crime against humanity – to conflate the two is to de-legitimize a democratic state and Canadians must stand against it.”
The addresses of Prime Minister Harper and Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff at the Conference affirm that hatred through Holocaust denial, the delegitimization of Israel and anti-Semitism are intolerable anywhere and everywhere.
To hear Prime Minister Harper’s remarks and express your appreciation, please click here
To hear Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff’s remarks and express your appreciation, please click here