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Nov. 16, 2007
A Jewish-Tory alliance
Stockwell Day speaks at JACP founding event.
ARASH BEN-SHAUL
According to many Jews, Canada-Israel relations have improved since the new Conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper came to power and some members of the community are taking steps to make sure things stay that way or get better.
"Our aim is to promote awareness of the Conservative party, its policies and, most importantly, its actions to the Jewish community," said Salomon Rayek, president of Jewish Advocacy for the Conservative Party (JACP). "We want to draw the attention of the Conservative party to the issues and concerns of the Jewish community."
On Nov. 5, JACP held its inaugural dinner at Richmond Golf and Country Club. Present at the inauguration were prominent members of the Conservative party, including MP John Cummins, former MP Paul Forseth and Minister of Public Safety Stockwell Day. Roughly 170 people attended the event.
Rayek, in his speech, urged the Jewish community to join the JACP and the Conservative party. He maintained that the Conservative party was the natural home for Jews because it consistently supports Israel and champions the values and principles important to the Jewish community. "CP is the party that stands for family, democracy, justice, tolerance, freedom, opportunity and, above all, diversity," said Rayek, who reminded the audience that the Conservative party had demonstrated its commitment to these principles by electing the "first-ever Chinese, Japanese and African-Canadian MPs and the first and only female prime minister of Canada.
In his keynote address, Day praised the Jewish community for its vigorous participation in Canadian life and reiterated his support for Israel.
Day maintained that, of all the challenges facing Israel today, including military and diplomatic ones, the greatest is the attempt to delegitimize Israel's existence by branding it an apartheid state and blaming it for all the problems of the Middle East. He stressed that the Canadian government is steadfastly committed to helping Israel defend itself against this and all other challenges on the international stage. "Israel has an aboriginal right to exist," he declared, "If you don't want to read the history books, then go anywhere in Israel and dig a few feet. Whatever relics you find will prove to you that the Jews are native to the land of Israel." He concluded by saying that the Canadian government stood by a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, adding that the solution must include a full recognition of Israel's right to exist in safe boundaries by the Palestinians, and it must be negotiated peacefully, not by terror.
In his closing message to the Jewish community, Rayek stressed the importance of judging a political party by its actions rather than promises. He argued that only the Conservative party, whether in opposition or in government, has consistently stood by Israel in times of need. "A good friend stands with you in good times and bad," he noted. He asked the Jewish community to do everything they could to support the Conservatives. "Volunteer anyway you can, with your time or anything," he said, "because the CP is a party with principles and values – my values, your values, Canadian values."
In a phone conversation with the Jewish Independent after the event, Rayek said that the JACP had not conducted any polls or surveys among the Jewish community by which to measure Conservative support among potential voters from the Jewish community.
Meanwhile, this week, Michael Ignatief, a leader in the Liberal party, is in Israel taking part in the Saban Forum, a gathering of leading world figures, which precedes this month's Middle East Peace Conference, slated for Annapolis, Md.
Arash Ben-Shaul is a Vancouver freelance writer.
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