On Parliament Hill

This past week, I was honoured to visit Israel on a Parliamentary Mission Trip hosted by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA). I was accompanied by several other Canadian MPs and Senators. I thoroughly enjoyed the trip having been able to meet with Israeli officials and further cement the relationship between our two countries. I also had the opportunity to meet with Katherine Verrier-Fréchette, the Representative of Canada to the Palestinian Authority.

I am proud that our Conservative Government has remained a steadfast ally of Israel and we have harshly criticized the United Nations for their support of Hamas aggression. During this trip, I was reminded of the importance of Canada’s continued support.

On a number of occasions during this trip, I have experienced the threat of rocket fire from Hamas aimed indiscriminately at Israel. My first experience occurred on Wednesday July 9th, when air raid sirens filled the air in Jerusalem with the warning of an incoming rocket. For our safety, we were immediately directed to take shelter until the threat had passed. The missile was shot down by Israel’s Iron Dome which is a system that intercepts and destroys rockets fired into Israel from neighbouring territories such as Gaza.

On Sunday July 13th, I again witnessed attacks on Israel while returning from a briefing with the Minister of Defence at Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). As the missiles flew overhead, we took to safety in a roadside ditch and watched as Israel’s Iron Dome activated its defence system, shooting incoming rockets out of the sky. We were relieved as we witnessed the effectiveness of this system in destroying rockets in flight as part of the ongoing defense action during Operation Protective Edge.

These missile attacks gave me a new appreciation and understanding of the gravity of the situation facing the Israeli and Palestinian people.

Hamas does not hesitate to use the Palestinian people as human shields during this conflict. In pursuit of sympathy from the global community, Palestinian leadership has decided that their people are dispensable. They locate missile launch sites in residential homes, leaving local residents directly in the line fire. Although Hamas’ actions puts Palestinian families at risk, Israel takes great care to ensure that responses to missile attacks are targeted and precise. If there is any doubt about the target, Israel’s missile launch is aborted. They also give Palestinian residents of neighbourhoods advanced warning before a missile is launched.

Israel’s ability to maintain a prosperous democratic state despite being under the constant threat of terror and missile attacks is impressive. I have the utmost respect for the Israeli people and am proud to stand with them during their time of need.

Despite the threat of bombings, we continued the trip as planned, meeting with officials and touring the country. I found the tour of the SodaStream facility to be especially impressive. SodaStream is a maker of consumer home carbonation products that provides jobs for 1100 Israeli and Palestinian employees. In fact, of the 1100 employees, 600 are Palestinian. These employees work side-by-side demonstrating that peace in the region is possible. Unfortunately, this is a side of Israel that rarely makes headlines.

Despite some criticism from those who oppose Israel, I firmly believe that SodaStream offers an excellent example of how two different groups can work together for a common cause. I know that the Israeli and Palestinian people want a peaceful resolution to the conflict, however in the face of ongoing threats I firmly believe that Israel’s right to self-defence must be respected by the international community.

I know that I speak for the people of Provencher when I say that we offer our sympathies and prayers to all those affected by this conflict.