CANADIAN JEWISH LEADERS SAY TWO-PRONGED APPROACH NECESSARY TO RESPOND TO TERRORIST ATTACKS AGAINST ISRAEL

Community representatives will travel to Jerusalem within days for strategy talks with Israeli government ministers

December 2, 2001

For Immediate Release

Toronto, December 2, 2001 — B’nai Birth Canada has responded to the latest terrorist outrages in Jerusalem and Haifa by announcing plans to leave within days for meetings with Israeli Minister of Defence, Benjamin Ben Eliezer and Minister of Internal Security, Uzi Landau. The organization says that the community’s overall response should include visits to Israel to express solidarity with its citizens, meet with victims of terror, and keep the lines of communication open between Israelis and Canadians.

However, B’nai Brith stressed that response to terrorist attacks must go further than expressions of sympathy and condemnation of the perpetrators. Rochelle Wilner, National President of B’nai Brith Canada, urged the Canadian Government to reconsider its voting positions at the United Nations General Assembly to reflect the constant danger Israel faces: “This week, voting begins on 19 separate resolutions condemning Israel,” she said. “The only addition to the yearly agenda is a resolution condemning Israel for carrying out security checks on UNWRA vehicles crossing into Israel. This resolution shows a total disregard for Israel’s vulnerability in the face of the unremitting terrorist attacks against it. And it completely ignores the Comay-Michelmore Agreement, which governs relations with UNRWA in areas administered by Israel, that expressly and unequivocally allow for measures based on security requirements.”

Frank Dimant, Executive Vice President, noted that countries around the world are increasing security measures to protect their citizens, and that visiting dignitaries at the UN had no problems co-operating with increased security checks in the building: “It is unconscionable to demand that Israel give blanket immunity to entities operating in the area,” he stated, “however impressive their credentials. The Canadian Government can no longer pay lip service to the struggle against terrorism when it impacts on Israel. We urge Foreign Minister Manley to intervene personally to ensure that Canada does not vote for biased anti-Israel resolutions of this nature. We should stand with our ally, the United States, rather than be seen as a voting partner of states that support and harbour terrorists.”

-30-

For further comment, call Frank Dimant at (416) 802 1057

B’nai Brith has been active in Canada since 1875 as the community’s senior human rights organization.