Will Trudeau be good for the Jews?

Many are questioning the future of the Israel-Canada relationship following Justin Trudeau’s Oct. 21 inauguration as Prime Minister of Canada, but Benjamin Netanyahu’s congratulatory phone call to Trudeau suggests a continuing friendly relationship between the two countries.

While Canada’s previous Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, was seen as a loyal and vocal supporter of Israeli policy and friend of Netanyahu, Trudeau is not expected to maintain this level of commitment. Kate Purchase, a spokesperson for Trudeau, told The Globe and Mail that “there would be a shift in tone but Canada would continue to be a friend of Israel’s.”

Traditionally, the Liberal Party was a strong supporter of Israel and had the support of Canada’s Jewish community.  It wasn’t until Stephen Harper’s full tilt towards Israel that the Conservative Party replaced the Liberals as Canada’s most vocally and loyally pro-Israel political party. While Trudeau has indicated he’ll continue to support Israel, his election campaign promise to re-establish ties with Iran — a country often seen as an existential threat to Israel — has been seen as a cause for concern by Jewish community leaders.

If there’s one thing Canadian Jewish teens appreciated about Harper, it was his unwavering support of Israel. While Canadian Jews may be apprehensive about the change in government, they share insight into why nothing may really change after all:

Andy Helfant, McGill University ‘17

“As a Jew, Canadian, and Israeli, I have a deep concern for what goes on in the region. However, I realize that the historical context and current economic and social reality is anything but black and white. The situation is painted in many shades of grey.

“I feel that Harper’s historic unquestioned support of Israel makes the conflict out to be black and white. I expect the leader of my country to take a critical view on all aspects of every conflict and to react accordingly.  The most [Trudeau] will maybe do is say he feels sympathy for the Palestinian people, which in my opinion means he’s a functioning, empathetic human being and I’m glad to have that in my leader.

“In terms of the outcome of the election and how it will impact Jewish Canadians, I believe that very little will change. Mr. Trudeau has expressed his support for Israel and being opposed to BDS. If anything, I hope that a more open and understanding discourse will emerge from all sides.”

Aidan Little, Queen’s University ’16

“I’m scared Trudeau will take more of a passive role in supporting Israel than the necessary active one required. My biggest concern with Trudeau will be his active support for Israel. Harper was fantastic in terms of his open support for Israel no matter what happened in the news.

“Although the 3 main Canadian parties all have a similar standpoint on Israel, Harper’s open and loud (metaphorical) support for Israel was incredible and I’m scared Trudeau will take more of a passive role in supporting Israel than the necessary active one required.

“While Trudeau is saying the right things, his visits during the election campaign to mosques and Islamic Centres linked to terrorism cannot be ignored.”

Ellie Gamliel, Ryerson University ’19

“I am not concerned that the government will stop being pro-Israel because Canada and Israel already have such a strong bond that there is no way we can reverse it.

“However, I am concerned that, because the Liberal government has never been outwardly pro-Israel, it will create an atmosphere where the citizens and rest of parliament will not be as pro- and accepting to Israel and [the] Jewish population because Trudeau has not been vocal about his government’s stance on Israel. Especially with everything going on now, we need the government to speak up.”

Charlotte Axelrod, Queen’s University ’18 

“Many people think of Harper as a ‘friend of Israel’s,’ an ardent supporter, someone who has our back. In fact, this alone informed many Jews’ voting decisions. ‘Harper is good for Israel.’ That is all they need. So this begs the question, what does it mean to be a friend of Israel’s? The truth is, Harper is a friend of Netanyahu and his Likud government.

“When he stands by Israel, he is standing by some contentious moves made by the Knesset. Many liberal thinkers — Israeli and Diaspora Jews included — do not always condone Netanyahu’s decisions as Prime Minister. So, with the change in Canadian leadership, we might see more pressure on Netanyahu to do things differently. And this may be a good thing.

“Trudeau’s team has said that there will always be fundamental support of Israel and her right to exist. However, there may be a shift in how her political actions are weighed. As a Jew, despite the complicated relationship I have with Netanyahu’s leadership, it has been reassuring to have someone on our side. Israel is always the target of major criticism and hate, so to know that Harper is a voice of support has been invaluable.

“Trudeau may not be as vehemently pro-Israel as was Harper, but I believe the Canadian government will still stand by the Jewish state. I hope there will only be positive changes to come.”

Dayna Goldhar, Ryerson University ’17 

“As a Jewish person it was reassuring to have Harper in power because I knew that the world had at least one semi-powerful leader that was in support of Israel and Jewish people.

“But I see myself as a more liberal person in values, and I do believe it’s time for Canada to be governed by a modern and forward-thinking leader.

“However, it’s a little bit scary not really knowing where Trudeau stands regarding affairs in Israel, and my guess is that he’s going to be neutral and just opt out of any opportunity to outwardly support Israel.”

These interviews were conducted by email and have been lightly edited for grammar and style.

Correction: Dayna Goldhar and Ellie Gamliel were misidentified in their photos. Both errors have been corrected. New Voices regrets the errors.

 

Jenna Zucker is a student at Queen’s University.