Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he plans to visit Israel in January, his first official trip to the Mideast country.
Harper announced his trip -- which will also include visits to Jordan and the Palestinian Authority -- during the Negev Dinner in Toronto, an annual event honouring community leaders and supporters of Israel.
The Jewish National Fund of Toronto hosted the event Sunday, raising $5.7 million to build a bird sanctuary in Israel to be named after Harper.
The Stephen J. Harper Hula Valley Bird Sanctuary Visitor and Education Centre will be located in a wetlands rehabilitation project -- one that the Israeli government hopes to turn into a major tourist attraction.
Harper said he was honoured by the 鈥済ift.鈥�
He also spoke about Canada鈥檚 commitment to protecting Israel, a country he called 鈥渁 light of freedom and democracy in what is otherwise a region of darkness.鈥�
鈥淲e understand that the future of our country and of our shared civilization depends on the survival and thriving of that free and democratic homeland of the Jewish people in the Middle East," Harper told attendees. "And I鈥檒l tell you friends, we understand that, and that鈥檚 why Israel will always have Canada as friend in the world.鈥�
The Prime Minister then treated the crowd to a musical performance, where he sang a number rock 鈥榥鈥� roll hits, including Neil Diamond鈥檚 Sweet Caroline, The Who's The Seeker and The Beatles' Hey Jude.
Earlier in the day, about 200 people gathered in downtown Toronto to protest Harper鈥檚 domestic and international record.
Armed with signs, whistles and megaphones, the protestors targeted everything from Harper鈥檚 approach to Aboriginal treaty rights to his backing of Canadian mining companies working abroad. Many took aim squarely at the Prime Minister鈥檚 unabashed support of Israel.
Harper first announced that support back in the summer of 2006, when he told reporters travelling on his first transatlantic flight that the Israeli bombardment of Lebanon in retaliation for the kidnapping of two of its soldiers by Hezbollah militants was a "measured" response.
Since, as critics have decried that he had compromised Canada's standing as an "honest broker" in the Middle East, the Harper government has aligned itself more firmly with Israel.
With files from The Canadian Press
