Ottawa, Canada – December 4, 2018 – Last evening, the Embassy of Israel was pleased to host our annual celebration of the holiday of Chanukah. The Embassy is launching our year of celebration of 70 years of diplomatic ties between Canada and Israel.
At the Chanukah celebration, Minister of International Trade Diversification Jim Carr reflected on the Canada-Israel friendship, saying, “The bonds between Canada and Israel are deep, our friendship is strong and our future, working together to expand our trade relations under the modernized Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement (CIFTA), is very bright indeed. At this time of year, may the Festival of Lights remind us of how far we have come and of the prospect that our people will become ever closer.”
Ambassador of Israel to Canada Nimrod Barkan looked back at our two nations’ special relationship over the past 70 years, and looked ahead to what the future holds, saying, “The cooperation between Canada and Israel are reflective of the strong ties that bind our friendship. Our partnership is one that is multi-partisan, rooted in shared values, and strengthened by the great connection between our two peoples.”
At the event, there were personal video greetings from both Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as well as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, each of whom shared their appreciation for the bilateral relationship.
The event also played host to a display commemorating the 850,000 Jewish refugees from Arab lands, exhibiting a little known history of the Jewish people. The Memorial Day for Jewish Refugees from Arab lands was commemorated on November 30.