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In a stunning rebuke of President Obama’s tepid calls for Israel to show "restraint" in response to daily rocket fire on Israeli civilian targets by Hamas terror redoubts in Gaza, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, long considered Israel’s best friend and strongest defender, all but condemned President Obama by name for what he regards as Washington’s irresolute support for Israel during its time of grave crisis. In perhaps his most strongly worded statement to date, Prime Minister Harper proclaimed that self defense is "not merely an Israeli right" to be exercised only in the abstract, but an "Israeli obligation" that...

Australia’s Prime Minister Tony Abbott is seeking out “like-minded” countries to form an alliance to thwart climate policies being pushed by President Obama and other world leaders.

The Conservative government is redeploying a Canadian war ship to the NATO mission formed in response to the Ukraine crisis, abandoning its anti-terror post in the Arabian Sea and marking an apparent end to Canada's naval participation in the region as part of the U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom. Prime Minister Stephen Harper told MPs Wednesday that HMCS Regina would be sent to join one of NATO's standing maritime groups. "Our government and our country remains steadfast in our support for the people of Ukraine in the face of ongoing militarism and aggression by the Putin regime," he said. An emailed statement to...

I’m going to go ahead and add their ongoing insouciance toward Canada on the Keystone XL pipeline to the Obama administration’s already impressively long list of foreign-policy blunders and undervaluations; sure, administration officials will readily affirm that Canada is “one of our closest partners” and “greatest friends” and whatever else, but just saying the words isn’t quite the same thing as actually helping a brother out on strengthening their economy and building up their natural resource production. Canada is our largest commercial trading partner and the country from which we import the most oil by far (followed by Saudi Arabia,...

BERLIN—German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday said Russia "can lose a lot" economically if it escalates tensions in Ukraine further and prompts Western allies to impose economic sanctions. "It's not just about concrete sanctions. Russia also needs trade and movement, today we're all connected internationally" the chancellor said in a joint news conference with her Canadian counterpart. Speaking in Berlin, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper acknowledged the economic risks, particularly for Europe, in slapping further sanctions on Russia and said "we should proceed quite cautiously." Mr. Harper added that the Russian economy is "quite fragile," and "when a major power...

Barack Obama waited nine months before replacing the last U.S. ambassador to Canada. The post was empty, and Obama just didn’t care. He doesn’t much like Stephen Harper – compare Obama’s icy body language towards Harper, to Obama’s deep bow when he met the Saudi king, or his high fives with the Hugo Chavez, the late ruler of Venezuela. Don’t feel singled out. That’s how Obama treats many of America’s traditional allies. He spied on German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cellphone. The White House's bust of Winston Churchill was returned to the United Kingdom when Obama became president. Get used to...

OTTAWA – Russian actions against Ukraine are “aggressive, militaristic and imperialistic” and pose a grave threat to world peace, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said today. Pro-Russian groups have occupied buildings in 10 cities in eastern Ukraine in recent days, prompting Harper to use his harshest words yet against what he called “Russian provocateurs sent by the Putin regime.” It’s time to rally the world against the danger posed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Harper said at a hastily assembled photo-op event with ambassadors from Ukraine, Estonia, Poland and Latvia. “I know this is of great concern to our NATO allies...

During a press conference with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, an Israeli reporter asked visiting Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, "Is Canada paying a price for being so supportive of Israel? Is it possible to support Israel and still have ties to the Arab world?" This question goes to the heart of what is generally perceived as Israel's greatest weakness. The Arab boycott of Israel and of companies doing business with Israel has served as one of the most potent weapons in the anti-Israel arsenal for over a generation. Indeed, since the OPEC oil embargo in 1974, it has...

As Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper finishes the last segment of his historic visit to the Middle East, the measure of success is clearly evident in the reaction. Harper, long a vocal supporter of Israel, was welcomed to the Jewish state as ‘a great friend of Israel’. The pomp and circumstance upon the arrival of the Canadian delegation was impressive to say the least, and spoke to the often overlooked bond between the two nations.

MK Moshe Feiglin (Likud) on Wednesday confronted MK Ahmed Tibi (Ra’am-Ta’al) at the Knesset over his behavior during Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s visit earlier this week. […] Feiglin related to Wednesday’s incident on his Facebook page and wrote, “Today I told Tibi what every sane Israeli feels for him—especially after his lying outburst during the speech of the Knesset’s guest, the Prime Minister of Canada.” He added, “When I—with G-d’s help—will be prime minister, this advisor to the murderer Arafat will be in prison and not in the Israeli Knesset.” …

Thank you to our good neighbors led by Prime Minister Stephen Harper for their exemplary support of our friend Israel. As significant and dangerous progress is made by Iran no doubt wanting nukes, and with the continued threats against Israel by radicals in the region, Canada's steadfastness is praiseworthy. Friends, THIS issue, along with innumerable domestic failures of government, should warrant more concern and focus than things like, oh, say, how a Seattle Seahawk verbally ramped up after intense competition and hard fought victory. Hold the media accountable as its priorities in coverage perhaps distract from REAL issues that...

A particularly nasty debate broke out Monday evening between Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Arab MK Ahmed Tibi – as Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who was visiting the Knesset, looked on. Tibi screamed at Netanyahu, who spoke in praise of Israeli democracy, and later walked out when Harper said the same when he spoke to MKs. Speaking in Harper's presence, Netanyahu said he hoped the Arab world, including Syria, “would be able to have real parliaments, like that in Israel. In our parliament, anyone can say anything they want,” Netanyahu said. In Israel, MKs are free to scream or...

Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas told Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Monday that there will be no official Israeli presence in the future Palestinian state, reported the Ma’an news agency. "We want an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital that includes all the lands that were occupied in 1967 and that lives side by side with Israel in security and stability," Abbas said in a joint press conference with Harper in Ramallah. "Anything else said or interpreted on our behalf matters only to those who interpret it," he added, according to Ma’an, dismissing rumors that he...

Prime Minister Stephen Harper got it right in his speech to the Israeli Knesset on Monday. In his first trip to the region, Harper described Israel and Canada as "the greatest of friends." This is not simply because there are almost 350,000 Jewish Canadians. It's not just, as Harper noted, because of our longstanding free trade agreement. It's because of "shared values." As the prime minister said, "Israel is the only country in the Middle East, which has long anchored itself in the ideals of freedom, democracy and the rule of law." They are quite simply the only country like...

Canadian Prime Minister Harper's speech to the Israeli Knesset

JERUSALEM — In a historic speech here, Prime Minister Stephen Harper rolled out a new definition of anti-Semitism — name-calling that will be controversial at home and on the global diplomatic circuit but which will make him into a mega-star in Israel. Two Arab-Israeli members of the 120-seat Knesset thought Harper's speech was objectionable enough even before he got around to this controversial re-definition. They walked out on his speech, loudly hollering at the Canadian prime minister about injustices to their communities. Harper's speech was historic because it was the first ever by a Canadian prime minister to the Knesset....

A particularly nasty debate broke out Monday evening between Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Arab MK Ahmed Tibi – as Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who was visiting the Knesset, looked on. Tibi screamed at Netanyahu, who spoke in praise of Israeli democracy, and later walked out when Harper himself did the same when he spoke to MKs. Speaking in Harper's presence, Netanyahu said he hoped the Arab world, including Syria, “would be able to have real parliaments, like that in Israel. In our parliament, anyone can say anything they want,” Netanyahu said. In Israel, MKs are free to scream...

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Stephen Harper hasn’t even started packing for his first visit to the Middle East, but the trip already has its first controversy. A Canadian Muslim group wants Harper’s officials to boot a Toronto rabbi out of the official delegation that will travel with the prime minister. In a letter sent to Harper on Tuesday, the National Council of Canadian Muslims said it objected to the presence of Toronto Rabbi Daniel Korobkin as part of Harper’s official delegation. Korobkin declined to comment, but Jason MacDonald, the prime minister’s director of communications, slammed the NCCM — formerly known...

Stephen Harper will announce plans to visit Israel for the first time at a high profile dinner in his honour in Toronto being hosted by the Jewish National Fund Sunday, sources said. Mr. Harper is considered by many to be Israel’s staunchest ally but he has never visited the Holy Land.

The Langevin Block, the building across from Parliament Hill that houses the Prime Minister’s Office, was evacuated Wednesday morning amid reports of a suspicious person and package in the area. Prime Minister Stephen Harper was not in the building. Police also closed Wellington Street, the street in front of the Parliament Buildings, for two blocks, and taped off roads in the area. RCMP officers were questioning a man who was put into a police cruiser. A joint RCMP-Ottawa police team that deals with potentially hazardous materials was called to the scene. The Conservative government’s throne speech was to be delivered...