Visit of the Honourable George J. Furey, K.C., Speaker of the Senate, and a Parliamentary Delegation, State of Israel and Czech Republic
From February 26 to March 3, 2023, the Speaker of the Senate, the Honourable George J. Furey, K.C., led a parliamentary delegation to the State of Israel and the Czech Republic. The delegation consisted of the Honourable Senator Donald Neil Plett and the Honourable Senator Patti LaBoucane-Benson. Accompanying the delegation were Mr. Vincent MacNeil, Chief of Staff, Office of the Speaker, and Ms. Marie-Eve Belzile, Principal Clerk, Parliamentary Exchanges and Protocol.
In Jerusalem, Israel, the delegation met with the following officials:
- His Excellency Amir Ohana, Speaker of the Knesset;
- His Excellency Ofir Akunis, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology of the State of Israel;
- The Honourable Yuli Yoel Edelstein, MK, Chair of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee;
- The Honourable Dan Illouz, MK, Co-chair of the Canada-Israel Friendship Group;
- The Honourable Orit Farkash Hacohen, MK, Co-chair of the Canada-Israel Friendship Group; and
- Mr. Yehuda Raveh, Chairman of the Israel-Canada Chamber of Commerce.
The delegation received an update on the situation in Israel and Palestine upon arrival with the Canadian Ambassador and the Canadian representative to the Palestinian Authority. The delegation then began its official visit with a tour and wreath-laying ceremony at Yad Vashem.
Collaboration between Canadian and Israeli universities was also discussed during a meeting with the President and Vice-President of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and with the Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada.
The purpose of the visit to the State of Israel was to promote Canadian values and interests and explore opportunities for further cooperation on the eve of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between Canada and Israel in 2024, and as Israel celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2023. Another important subject of discussion centred on increased collaboration between each country’s educational institutions. The visit also provided an opportunity to discuss security issues of mutual interest.
In Prague, Czech Republic, the delegation met with the following officials:
- His Excellency Miloš Vystrčil, President of the Senate of the Czech Republic;
- Her Excellency Markéta Pekarová Adamová, Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic;
- His Excellency Jan Lipavský, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic;
- His Excellency Vladimír Balaš, Minister of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic;
- The Honourable Jiří Drahoš, First Vice-President of the Senate of the Czech Republic; and
- The Honourable Lucie Potůčková, Chair, and other members of the Canada-Czech Republic Interparliamentary Friendship Group.
The delegation also discussed the war in Ukraine and its repercussions in Czech Republic and the region with representatives of the Association for International Affairs, the European Values Centre for Security Policy, the EUROPEUM Institute, and the Institute of International Relations.
The purpose of the visit to the Czech Republic was to strengthen bilateral relations, promote Canadian values and interests, enhance trade and investment relations, and explore opportunities for further cooperation. The visit also allowed for discussions pertaining to security issues of mutual interest.
The report will be available once it has been tabled in the Senate.