6
Friday, March 30, 1984
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
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Canadian look at Israel
Continued from Page 4
also on the eve of national elections.
Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau
has announced that he is not seeking
yet another term in office. There is no
shortage of people anxious to succeed
him. Many of them came to the CIC
conference.
External Affairs Minister Allan J.
MacEachen delivered a lengthy ad-
dress on Canadian policy toward Israel
and the Middle East at a luncheon on
March 21. MacEachen visited the
region last October, just around the
time of the Beirut bombing of the U.S.
Marine headquarters in Beirut. At the
time, he made some statements 'in
Damascus which upset Israel and its
Jewish friends in'Canada, including a
readiness to upgrade Canadian rela-
tions with the PLO. The earlier policy
had
been one of non-recognition, al-
-
though lower-ranking diplomats were
officially permitted to meet with PLO
officials — unlike their American
counterparts. "I have indicated that
possibility (of upgrading) in princi-
ple," he said.
Later, the minister backed off
somewhat in the wake of the disarray
within the PLO and the outcry from
the Jewish community. It is rather
self-evident, with the struggle which
is currently going on within the PLO,
that the time is not quite propitious to
give implementation to that particu-
lar policy question (of upgrading ties
with the PLO)."
At the CIC luncheon, MacEachen
did not mention the PLO by name —
nor did he discuss other controversial
subjects which are still very much on
the Canadian-Israeli diplomatic
agenda. Instead, he diplomatically fo-
cused on the strengths of the bilateral
relationship. He addressed the
broader Arab-Israeli peace process
largely in generalities.
Of all the impressions I brought
back from my recent visit to Israel and
its four Arab neighbors, the most fun-
damental is a reinforced conviction
that peace through negotiation is es-
sential and remains possible — a peace
which gives Israel secure and recog-
nized boundaries, and the Palesti-
nians a homeland in the West Bank
and Gaza Strip," he declared.
There can be no denying that
Canada is fundamentally a friend of
Israel — on that Israeli officials in Ot-
tawa and their supporters in the
Jewish community agree. It has been
ever since 1948.
Certainly, Canada is by no means
as important to Israel as is the United
States. But in its own way, Canada
plays a significant role. The Jewish
community alone is very organized,
committed and relatively wealthy.
The government of Canada may not
provide financial assistance to Israel
but the Jews of Canada do, through the
purchase of Israel Bonds or through
direct contributions to Israeli
charities. Just think about the number
of institutions in Israel with the name
Canada associated with them.
Trade between the two countries
is rather modest, but as both
MacEachen and Israeli Ambassador
Eliashiv Ben-Horin agreed, there is
plenty of room for expansion in both
directions. "There is always much
more to be done, but we are on the
right road and moving in the right di-
rection," the Canadian said.
The three major political parties
— all of whom were represented at the
CIC conference by top leaders — spel-
led out their positions in detailed
statements. There was not much real
difference on the fundamental issues.
All were outspoken in their everlast-
ing commitment to Israel's security
and well-being. Still, each one has
some differences with the Israeli gov-
ernment — whether on Jerusalem, the
settlements, dealing with the PLO or
the war in Lebanon.
One Israeli diplomat commented
that the consensus Canadian positions
on these issues are generally not as
favorable toward Israel as those
enunciated in Washington. But at the
same time, they are certainly better
than those of Western Europe. Cana-
da's voting record at the United Na-
tions is also generally favorable
towards Israel — roughly along the
lines of Australia. That again means
it's better than Western Europe but
not as good as the United States.
Like MacEachen, Ambassador
Ben-Horin sought to underline the
positive in Canadian-Israeli ties when
he spoke at a separate dinner. Ben-
Horin, a distinguished career dip-
lomat who has served as Ambassador
to West Germany, Burma, Venezuala
and the European Community, made
it clear that the differences between
Ottawa and Jerusalem could be over-
come because of the much more impor-
tant bonds that tie both countries to-
gether — shared values as democ-
racies and a basic desire to maintain
friendly ties.
It was left to keynote speaker
Sinicha Dinitz, the former Israeli Am-
bassador to the United States, to de-
liver a dazzling defense of the Israeli
consensus against withdrawing to the
pre-1967 lines, dealing with the PLO
and dividing Jerusalem.
There is no shortage of problems
in Canada facing the Jewish commu-
nity, most serious, of course, being the
still-lingering tensions in Montreal
between the English and French
speaking communities. Most of the
Jews are identified with the English,
although significant numbers of
French-speaking Sephardim from
Morocco and elsewhere in North Af-
rica have immigrated there in recent
years. As in Israel — although on a
different scale — there are also some
problems in Montreal between
Ashkenazim and Sephardim.
But Jews on the whole have done
well in Canada. They have moved up
the socio-economic ladder very nicely.
The Bronfman and Belzberg families
are, of course, unique. But there is no
shortage of very wealthy Jewish
families. They are deeply involved in
all aspects of life, including academia,
the arts, politics, the law and
medicine. They have clout. There are
many Jews in Parliament. Canada's
Soliciter-General is Jewish as is its
Ambassador to the United States.
Israeli diplomats at the embassy
in Ottawa and at the consulates in To-
ronto and Montreal are very attuned
to the limits of their mission, dwarfed,
as it is, by Israel's stake in the United
States. But Canada as a whole — and
the very robust and devoted Jewish
community in particular — are impor-
tant to Israel in their own right.