Ambassador Urges Canadian Jews to Stand Firm Amid Frosty Relations

By Mark Cooper 

(AJNews) – Israeli Ambassador to Canada Iddo Moed is urging Canadian Jews to stay and fight for their civil rights, amid feelings that Ottawa’s response to surging domestic antisemitism is not meaningful and reflects a diplomatic double standard toward Israel.

While Moed emphasizes that Israel will always welcome those who choose to immigrate, he maintains that mass departure is not the best path forward for Jews in the Diaspora.

“You hear Israeli government ministers saying to the people in Canada, ‘Just come here, forget about Canada.’ I don’t think that’s the solution,” said Moed in an interview on the sideline of events hosted by the Israeli Embassy at this year’s Calgary Stampede.

“Try to solve it from where you are. You can’t escape from the problem, you have to face it. This is a Canadian issue. In the free world we have to fight for our values as free people, for democracy. This is what this fight is about. It starts with the Jews but never ends with the Jews.”

That broader battle for democracy comes amid a profound freeze in bilateral relations, which Moed warns have plummeted to an all-time low.

While Ottawa initially offered brief empathy following the October 7 Hamas attacks on Southern Israel, the ambassador has faced a steady, deeply disappointing shift toward increasingly frosty Canadian foreign policy.

Most recently, the Prime Minister’s Office failed to respond directly to Moed’s letter outlining his concerns about what many Jewish organizations are calling a deeply one-sided “Nakba” exhibit at the publicly-funded Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg.

“I think where we are right now is a very bad place on the federal level,” he said.

“The government has little attention for Israel. What we find again and again, is strong criticism, condemnations. I’ve been called in numerous times for issues, that by the way, were never substantiated.”

Among the issues Moed highlights is Canada’s continued freeze on armored vehicle exports to Israel—which he states are needed to protect first responders—while Ottawa considers strengthening defense trade ties with Turkey, a nation increasingly hostile to Israel.

“I would have expected Canada would take a different stance on these issues and understand that Israel is in the midst of its existential fight. This is something that will stay with Israel. We will remember that Canada made that choice when we were in that time of need.”

He enters his likely final year still hoping to rebuild trust and collaboration with the government, despite three years of routine scoldings from Canadian foreign ministers. This optimism persists despite what critics label as weak federal actions against violent attacks on Jewish institutions, Canada’s controversial recognition of a Palestinian state—which Moed termed a “reward” for Hamas—and his ongoing concerns over reported IRGC and Muslim Brotherhood members operating in the country.

“To be frank, I don’t think Prime Minister Carney has anything in particular against Israel but I am very disappointed in the fact that he does not take the time to reflect to the public the way he sees Israel’s role within the bilateral relations, because I do believe he sees the importance of Israel’s innovation, culture, business and technologies.

“I think that he of course, values very much the Jewish community’s contribution to Canada… But what is missing here is the component of Israel and that part of the relationship is sort of abandoned (by the government).”

Stacey Leavitt-Wright, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Edmonton, agrees with Moed that Canada’s Jewish community must continue to fight hard for its rights.

“We need to have a very strong Israel but Israel needs a strong Diaspora,” said Leavitt-Wright, who has spent countless hours in the trenches fighting for the Jewish community and for Israel during her more than five years as CEO.

Like many Jewish leaders around the world, she has been called upon to respond to a rising wave of anti-Israel sentiment—including remarks from Edmonton’s mayor and a city councillor—since the October 7 attacks.

But she is not deterred.

“There is no reason to pack it up and leave when we’ve been so integral to the development of this country, and have a rightful place here like every other Canadian.”

She is confident strong, vibrant Jewish communities will continue.

“We just have to fight for them a little bit harder.”

Calgary Jewish Federation CEO Rob Nagus also agrees Canada is worth fighting for.

“Canada has been a great home for our Jewish community in recent history and we have so much to fight for,” said Nagus, who with Leavitt-Wright and other organizations co-hosted about 700 guests at the annual Spuds ‘n Suds Stampede Breakfast in early July.

The event drew a robust turnout of Jewish allies from all walks of life and politicians from various parties. Notable attendees included Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who stayed for an extended period, Alberta’s Official Opposition Leader Naheed Nenshi, and several MPs and city councillors.

“Though these are undeniably precarious times for Canadian Jewry, now is the time to stand firm, not walk away. We must be steadfast and united in championing our shared Jewish and Canadian values.”

Ambassador Moed is banking on advanced technological partnerships and a shared commitment to the values of a strong, inclusive, and moral democracy to help rebuild a once ironclad bilateral bond.

It is a strategic focus on productivity and commercialization that the ambassador believes aligns with the exact types of economic initiatives coveted by Prime Minister Carney.

That emphasis on economic cooperation over traditional political channels was recently on full display in Alberta as Moed spent nearly a week in Calgary during the Stampede, showcasing at events hosted by the embassy Israel’s high-tech companies in pioneering fields such as AI, cybersecurity, energy, agri-tech, cleantech, and more.

Along with economic and innovation partnerships, Moed is heartened by what he sees as a growing allyship between Jews and Canadians of other faiths, something he says is critical in the fight for Canadian values.

“I see that so many Christian supporters of Israel show up and pray for Israel,” said Moed. “I’m moved by that so often. They want to see Israel prosper and live in peace and security.

“We hear them in Israel. We feel their prayers and we are eternally grateful for that.”

Mark Cooper is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for Alberta Jewish News.