(Communicated by the President's Spokesperson)
 
President Rivlin this afternoon (Sunday) held a working meeting at his residence with Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird, during the latter's visit to the region. At the beginning of the meeting, the President went out to meet the Foreign Minister at his vehicle, and welcomed him warmly, having heard reports of a protest against his convoy following his meetings in Ramallah. 
 
The President began his statement by speaking about the announcement by the ICC prosecutor. He said, "The decision by the prosecutor is deeply ironic, awards terror, and amounts to blasphemy against international law. The State of Israel is committed to the highest standards of international law. In the current situation, terrorist organizations are not held accountable, and have a win-win situation, whether by terrorizing Israel's citizens, or making claims against Israel when it defends its citizens. It is for the international law to clarify what a state can do in order to defend its people from terrorism."
 
The President stressed, "There is no solution other that through direct negotiations. Unilateral moves do not solve the conflict, but only empower extremists."
 
Foreign Minister Baird thanked the President for his warm welcome, and said, "Israel and Canada share the same values, which has made our relationship rock solid. I can tell you that in Canada, we make no mistake. Combating terrorism is the great struggle of our generation, and far too often, the State of Israel and the Jewish people around the world are on the front-line of that struggle. We do not stand behind you, we stand shoulder to shoulder beside you and with you. In Canada, had you had 10,000 rockets fired at civilian targets, the Canadian people would have had one simple expectation from their government - to make it stop. States have not just the right, but the obligation to protect their people."
 
On the issue of the ICC, the Foreign Minister said, "In the court of international opinion, Israel already has one hand tied firmly behind its back, and we will not allow the international community to tie the other hand as well."