 Thank you Alex for that warm introduction. I was privileged to know Barry and honey And I'm so pleased to be here tonight among so many of their friends And it's so moving to see you Alex carrying on the example of community leadership set by your parents Hello, everyone. Thank you for coming out tonight. It's wonderful to see so many friends here. Good to see you here, Mayor Tory Thank you for being here. Thank you all for gathering this week We were delighted to welcome President Rivlin of Israel to Canada as Of course, you know the president had to cut his visit short because of personal reasons We wish him and his family and especially Nahama very well. I Also like to thank Adam Minsky CEO of UJA Federation of Greater Toronto and his entire team for organizing this event I cannot think of a better way to celebrate the ties that unite Israel and Canada Ahead of tonight have been given some thought to this idea of friendship between nations About what binds us together In 1948 Canada was one of the very first countries to formally recognize Israel and more than 70 years later Our friendship endures our understanding of each other deepens our affection for one another grows That's not a coincidence It's a choice and to understand why Canada continues to make that choice Why our two countries are so deeply committed to standing with each other one must first look at Israel's leaders President Rivlin has not only dedicated his life to the people of Israel He has been a leader who brings to life the words of Israel's declaration of independence By advancing the vision of a democracy based on freedom Justice and peace with equal rights for all under his leadership the Canada-Israel Relationship a natural partnership rooted in shared values and a shared vision for the future has continued to grow and thrive But our ties are also made stronger by Canadians and Israelis who've long nurtured our friendship Indeed Canada's Jewish community has played an essential role in this journey From raising awareness about the challenges facing the Jewish homeland to giving young people the chance to visit Israel To creating more opportunities for greater cooperation You have given countless Canadians the ability to better understand Israel the Jewish community and its importance to Canada But beyond that the Jewish community has played and continues to play a pivotal role in shaping the Canada that we know today It's been more than 250 years since the Jews are here in Israel It represents more than 250 years of contribution to our country And growing up in Montreal, I was lucky to discover and appreciate the Jewish culture all over my city The music of Leonard Cohen, the mood of Mordecai Richler, the streets of Côte-Saint-Luc or the Hampstead These examples are numerous and we can say so much about Toronto and many other communities from one end to another in the country Jewish Canadians are our friends, our neighbors, our colleagues, our fellow compatriots Helping the most vulnerable Repairing the world Jewish values are Canadian values Through our relationship and friendships, we've gained a better understanding of Jewish identity and the unique challenges facing your community But as Alex mentioned, it hasn't always been this way Indeed, we have grown to be much more compassionate and more supportive than we once were There was a time when we let anti-Semitism take hold in our communities and become our official policy A time when we turned our backs on the Jewish people in the most desperate of moments Canada's ill treatment of the Jews before, during and even after the Second World War Is well documented And while this is a dark shameful chapter of our history, it is one Canada needed to confront Last November our government issued a long overdue apology to Jewish refugees and the passengers of the st Louis we turned away during the Second World War That day we vowed not only to remember But also to act on the painful lessons of our past Something we must do every day Today anti-Semitism is a tweet inciting hate It's a threat in the comments section It's graffiti on a high school, near high park It's an abhorrent attack this past November on Jewish teens wearing kippas It's the horrific murder of Jews in Pittsburgh, in Paris, in Jerusalem, and around the world Anti-Semitism is on the rise And a hallmark of its latest iterations Is a deep-seated hatred for Israel Or as my friend Erwin Kotler, who has done incredible work on this subject Put it well to me a number of years ago and continues to- Erwin, are you here tonight? I heard Erwin might be- no, not here tonight, there we are As he told me a number of years ago The new anti-Semitism features the 3Ds Demonization of Israel, a double standard around Israel And a de-legitimization of the state of Israel That's why a movement like BDS or the so-called Israel Apartheid Week has no place in Canada When Jewish students are made to feel uncomfortable on campus because of their identity When people don't feel safe dovening in shul That is unacceptable, period, and it's un-Canadian And I can assure you that this is a message I proudly bring wherever it must be heard Canada will always condemn hatred of any kind against any community And Jewish leaders have echoed this message time and time again Any movement that calls into question Israel's right to exist Or the right of the Jewish people to self-determination is promoting anti-Semitism It is an attack on our Israeli friends, on Jewish Canadians, and on the values we share An attack on the foundation of the Canada-Israel friendship And on everything we stand for That is why we will continue to stand up against anti-Semitism To raise Israel's voice and stand alongside her, including at the United Nations A group of terrorists like Hamas and Hezbollah who target civilians Canada has also sought to increase cooperation with Israel through many bilateral initiatives From trade to innovation to science to technology to security Ambassador Lyons often jokes that her mission is the most visited of any mission around the world And it's easy to see why Countless Canadian groups, from business leaders to civil society organizations To community groups visit Israel every year And since November 2016, 13 high-level visits have been held by Canadian leaders Of all orders of government I myself traveled to Jerusalem to attend the funeral of the great Shimon Peres I've had the chance a couple of times now to see with my own eyes Why the city has been so central to the religious, national, and cultural identity of the Jewish people For thousands of years, and it's a place I very much look forward to visiting again My friends, Canada and Israel share a special bond One rooted in mutual respect, a shared history, and common values But our bond is made strong by people like you who seek to bring us closer You do tremendous work to sustain and promote our partnership And Canadians are better for it President Rivlin's visit this week attests to Israel's desire to deepen our ties We know that we have more than an ally in Israel We have a real, trusted friend on whom we can count And who can count on Canada to continue to stand by its side through thick and thin Thank you all for inviting me here tonight to join with you Merci d'être ici tout le monde Merci beaucoup