President Reuven Rivlin today held a working meeting with Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau. The meeting was held in the Canadian capital, Ottawa, as part of the president’s state visit to the country.
The president thanked the prime minister for his friendship and moral leadership. In his remarks, the president said that a true leader is one who is prepared to take a clear moral position, as Trudeau has done in his clear and forthright position against anti-Semitism and discrimination of all forms. The president stressed the long-standing friendship between the two countries, beginning with Israel’s declaration of independence, which continue to deepen until today and said that the State of Israel considers its relations with Canada, with whom we share values that contribute to regional security, very important. As part of the cooperation, the president noted the renewal of the free trade agreement in May 2018 and expressed his hopes that its potential will be realized. “We must continue to deepen our cooperation in the fields of culture, science, innovation and cyber,” said the president.
The president thanked the prime minister for Canada’s support for Israel in the international arena and its strong stance against BDS and anti-Semitism, and expressed his expectation that Canada would oppose any unilateral Palestinian moves against Israel and discrimination of Israel in international organizations. They also discussed the Iranian question and the president noted with satisfaction the decision by the Canadian parliament to freeze its relations with Iran and to declare the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organization.
“Iran is leading the establishment of a Shi’ite axis in Iran, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen, and its actions are exacerbating Sunni-Shi’ite tensions. This could lead to regional escalation and threaten the whole world,” said the president, noting “the world cannot allow Iran to do this. The only way to halt Iran’s plans is by concerted international pressure and targeted military action whenever needed.” The president also noted that, in addition to these actions, Iran’s economic freedom of action must be limited and that funding for Iran should be blocked due to its support for terrorism.
Later in the day, the prime minister will host the president for an official luncheon at his residence, after which they will lay a wreath at the Holocaust Memorial in Ottawa.