Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon used high-level political talks in Jerusalem Sunday with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and incoming prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to encourage peace in the region.
Striking a balanced tone, Cannon said that Canada has pledged $4 million recently in emergency aid for war-weary Palestinians, but he also reaffirmed Israel's right to defend itself.
Cannon's meeting with Livni included discussions on "the full range of interests between Canada and Israel, and matters of mutual concern in the Middle East region," government statement said Sunday.
However, before going into the meeting, Cannon said little about what assistance Canada may offer during ongoing peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.
He also declined to comment specifically on whether Israel should reopen the border with Gaza, so that reconstruction materials can enter the impoverished Palestinian territory.
"You'll have to ask the Israelis that question," he said.
Gaza suffered through heavy Israeli bombardments earlier this year, which lead to more than 1,000 deaths.
"What Minister Cannon did say was a reiteration of the closeness of the relationship between Canada and Israel, one he says extends back 60 years and one he says that this government is certainly wanting to build on," CTV's Middle East Bureau Chief Janis Mackey Frayer said Sunday on Newsnet.
On Saturday, Cannon met with his Jordanian counterpart, Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh, and praised a nuclear co-operation agreement between the two countries, which was signed on Feb. 17.
"Jordan is a valued partner for Canada from both a political and a commercial perspective, and the pace of our co-operation continues to grow," Cannon said in a press release.
"Most recently this was demonstrated in a nuclear co-operation agreement, which represents an important opportunity for Canada's nuclear industry, while helping Jordan meet its long-term energy requirements."
Cannon also met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Amman, Jordan.
His primary purpose for his Middle East visit is to attend Monday's conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on reconstruction efforts after Israel's month-long military offensive in the Gaza Strip.
In 2007, Canada committed $300 million in assistance to the Palestinian people to be distributed over five years. The federal government pledged another $4 million this year to address urgent humanitarian needs in Gaza.
However, before any humanitarian or reconstruction efforts can go forward in Gaza, donor nations will have to work out how to keep funds out of the hands of Hamas militants, Mackey Frayer said.
There are also concerns about restricted access to the region.
"It's difficult for any country to talk about reconstructing Gaza when the current blockade by Israel and Egypt prevents the delivery of something as simple as cement or metal into the Gaza Strip," Mackey Frayer said.
