Critics of Prime Minister Stephen Harper鈥檚 staunch vocal support of Israel are 鈥渙ut of sync鈥� with a changing world that is viewing the Middle East with a new perspective, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Netanyahu granted 麻豆传媒鈥� Chief Anchor and Senior Editor Lisa LaFlamme an exclusive interview at his office to discuss the renewed Middle East peace talks, as well as Harper鈥檚 upcoming trip to Israel.
Netanyahu said he is 鈥済lad to see the constancy and consistency of Canada鈥檚 friendship to Israel鈥� as exemplified by Harper.
When asked about the criticism Harper receives for his vocal support for Israel, Netanyahu replied: 鈥淭hose who criticize him are out of sync.
鈥淭hey should go to some of the countries in the Middle East who now support Israel, who think about Israel in different terms.鈥�
As an example, Netanyahu said many of Israel鈥檚 Arab neighbours share a common goal of peace in the region, as well as concern over a nuclear-armed Iran. Other Arab countries see a bigger threat in hard-line Islamist groups, he said.
鈥淪o I say to those who criticize a pro-Israel position in Canada, I ask them, come to the Middle East. Go to the Arab world and you'll discover, you'll discover a lot of people are reconsidering their positions,鈥� he said.
Netanyahu said many Arab countries 鈥渟ee Israel not as an enemy but as a friend.
鈥淪o when Canada says, 鈥業srael is our friend,鈥� they're not necessarily alienating the Arabs. Quite the contrary, because the Arabs are changing. The Arabs, many of them, sometimes openly and sometimes in corridors and whispers, they say, 鈥業srael is our friend.鈥� So they don't view others differently as a result of that.鈥�
To a question of whether increased trade will be a topic of discussion during Harper鈥檚 visit, Netanyahu said Canada and Israel 鈥渃an do a lot together鈥� by sharing technology, and natural and human resources.
Mideast peace talks
Harper鈥檚 visit comes amidst a renewed peace process spearheaded by U.S Secretary of State John Kerry. Netanyahu said 鈥渘obody wants peace more than Israel.鈥�
鈥淣ow, when we say we want peace, what we want is really for our Palestinian neighbours to have a demilitarized state next to us that recognizes the Jewish State. We鈥檙e willing to recognize their state, the Palestinian state. But we ask them to recognize the Jewish state,鈥� Netanyahu said.
鈥淭he last thing we want to do is just walk out and have them use that, the Palestinian state to attack what remains of Israel. So I think this is perhaps the pivot to the whole debate鈥� will the Palestinians, as part of peace, recognize the Jewish state as Israel is willing to recognize the Palestinian state. I hope they do. If they do, it鈥檒l afford a better future for us and their children.鈥�
Netanyahu dismissed the idea of Jewish settlements being a barrier to peace, saying the issue 鈥渨ill be resolved鈥� along with questions of territory during the negotiations.
But he questioned whether a Palestinian state would be open to Jewish residents as Israel is open to Arabs.
鈥淣ow the Palestinian state, the way it鈥檚 being contemplated, they鈥檙e saying, well, no Jew can live there. It has to be Jew-free. Ethnic cleansing. Well, what is that? There are Arabs who live here, but they can鈥檛 contemplate Jews living there,鈥� he said.
Netanyahu echoed statements made by Israel鈥檚 Ambassador to Canada Rafael Barak to CTV鈥檚 Question Period last week, that Israel is prepared to make compromises in order to achieve peace.
鈥淲e're willing to make difficult and hard decisions and compromises to live in peace with our neighbours, but we're entitled to our own country where Jews from around the world can come here, just as Palestinians from around the world can come to the Palestinian state,鈥� he said.
