In the course of a state visit to Canada, the president of Israel addressed the Canadian parliament. He was greeted by Prime Minister Mulroney who praised Canada-Israel ties and openly expressed his support for the recent Israeli peace initiative. In his reply, President Herzog explained the events that led to the 1967 Six Day War and their consequences, He, too, lauded Israel-Canada friendship and mutual trust. Text of the two speeches follow:
Address by Prime Minister of Canada, The Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney
We are gathered here today to mark the first address to the Parliament of Canada by the head of State or the head of Government of Israel. We mark as well the first state visit to Canada by a President of Israel. On behalf of all Canadians, Mr. President, I tell you simply: welcome, you are among friends. Your ties to our country predate the foundation of the State of Israel.
You were a brother-in-arms to thousands of our fellow citizens, who, in history's darkest hour, risked - and, in all too many cases, sacrificed - their lives to defeat the Nazi terror. The British unit in which you served, from the beaches of Normandy until V-E day, was attached to the first Canadian army. The wreath you will be laying this afternoon at our National War Memorial is therefore an especially moving expression of our personal and national solidarity. Canadians remember that threat to our freedom. And we will never forget the diabolical attempt to exterminate the Jewish people.
The Holocaust is burnt indelibly into our souls, as it must live on in the minds of our youngest children - and then, theirs - so that it can never be forgotten. Mr. President, you pursued your destiny in an era that brought about the birth and consolidation of the State of Israel. Canada played a part in that process by participating in the United Nations Commission that proposed the partition of Palestine, by voting for Israel's membership in the UN and by contributing to the Middle East peace-keeping forces in the hope of stabilizing the region and of bringing peace to your country.
Most of all, in the daring and difficult period of Israel's infancy, when your nation needed friends - true friends -Canada was there. Canada was there over 40 years ago and our friendship and support remain with you today. The bonds between Israel and Canada are numerous and deep.
Like Canada, Israel is a land of immigrants which has become a home to a host of courageous spirits from around the world. Canada owes a great deal to the contribution of its Jewish community, whose members have distinguished themselves in an outstanding manner.
I can tell you, Mr. President, that there is hardly a dimension of our national life - from the arts and research to medicine, the humanities, commerce, politics, labour and the law - that has not been improved and enriched because of the dynamic presence of a large and impressive Jewish community in Canada. Jewish immigrants have laboured and sacrificed and have dreamt great dreams for their children - and on this continent so far away, their fondest hopes of freedom and tolerance of fairness and opportunity have come true.
Canada is an incomparably better nation because of their presence. Canadians understand the aspirations that have shaped Israeli society from its origins. Canada and Israel share a fundamental commitment to liberty, through respect for individual rights and responsibilities. Common human values and democratic principles lie at the root of everything that unites us.
In all the world, there are few parliaments as open, democratic and fractious as the Knesset - although this House of Commons comes dangerously close on occasion! To listen to the raucous debates in the Israeli Parliament is to hear the pure and persuasive sounds of freedom. And in all the world, there are few parallels to match the astonishing feat of Israel coming alive, of deserts being made to bloom, of a nation being bound together, in the shadow of hostility, in the agony of war.
The values on which Israel was founded, and which have been tempered in the fire of her national experience, have never been tested more than at this moment. Canadians are deeply concerned because of their friendship for Israel and because of their profound conviction that human rights must be respected.
Indeed, Mr. President, as you so eloquently stated, some three years ago: "Israel must be the absolute denial of the theories of discrimination and racism, the loss of human dignity and the negation of man's honour." The death of a child - Israeli or Palestinian - is an overwhelming human tragedy. Forbearance and restraint - even in the face of intense provocation - are the hallmarks of a strong and confident nation. Canadians who understand and sympathize with Israel urge nonetheless moderation and reasonableness, in the belief that ultimately such a policy will bring about an equally responsible attitude on the other side.
The name of Israel resounds in human history with the promise of liberation. You can be assured of Canada's unswerving commitment to the security of Israel and to its status as a legitimate and independent state.
Canada is more anxious than ever to help create in your region a peace based on the security, well-being and legitimate rights of the people of Israel and her Arab neighbours. Since the UN Security Council passed Resolution 242 in 1967, Canada has been working in the Middle East to promote a peace based on territorial accommodation, so that in exchange for occupied territories, Israel's legitimate rights will be recognized by its neighbours.
We have continually insisted that the Palestinians and the Arab countries recognize, unequivocally, Israel's right to exist. We have been encouraged by events in recent months which demonstrate this essential pre-condition is being met. Our conviction is that recognition and respect for Israel's rights is the essential counterpart for the Palestinians realizing their own legitimate rights, including the right to participate fully in the determination of their own destiny and the future of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
We are pleased by the growing acceptance of this principle throughout your region. In this respect, we consider it significant that the Israeli Government has proposed holding elections in which the Palestinian people would be able to make their views known clearly, elections that could be a step on the way to breaking the cycle of violence and leading to a just and durable peace.
The creation of the State of Israel is one of the epochal events of this century. For Canadians, Israel is not simply a place on the map. Israel is a tribute to the deep spiritual beliefs and the unfailing personal courage of a remarkable people. Israel is a monument to the indomitable spirit of man.
Colleagues, I present to you the President of Israel whom I invite to address the Parliament and people of Canada.