Israeli Ambassador updates the Vancouver community on Middle East affairs

Israeli Ambassador Rafael “Rafi” Barak recently made his first official visit to Vancouver and provided two briefings on the current situation in the Middle East to community members. The first event, hosted by Jewish Federation, was for major donors and attracted over 100 guests. The second event, co-hosted by Jewish Federation, CIJA and JNF Pacific, was attended by over 45 community leaders.  The ambassador’s informative and thought-provoking insights provided a timely reminder of the importance of our community’s support for Israel, as it recovers from the impacts of the recent conflict. 
 

Ambassador Barak is an accomplished diplomat with extensive expertise in promoting Israel’s diplomatic ties around the globe.  He began his diplomatic career in 1979 as Second Secretary at the Embassy of Israel in Lima, Peru.  He subsequently enjoyed diplomatic postings to Washington, DC and Paris before returning to Israel.  In 2011 he was named Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and on November 25, 2013, he officially became the Ambassador of Israel to Canada.

He highlighted Israel’s on-going interest in developing deeper trade links with BC in the high-tech sector and establishing educational partnerships, particularly in the areas of cyber security, brain science and environmental innovation.

The terrorism threat posed by Hamas and Islamic State in the region was of particular interest and he expressed the need for a cautious approach to the global rise in anti-Semitism.

Barak also noted the on-going the local community support for Israel in the form of solidarity visits, funding projects in Israel, and moral support in the face of anti-Israel activity in the diaspora such as the Boycott Divest Sanction movement. He expressed gratitude for the unprecedented multi-partisan political support for Israel, as well as public support for the country, saying that “there is no better friend to Israel than Canada.”

Photos of the Major Donor event
Photos of the Community Leaders event