Lapid thanks Canada’s Garneau for standing with Israel during Gaza war

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid thanked his Canadian counterpart Marc Garneau for standing with Israel during the Gaza war when the two men met in Jerusalem.

Garneau, who entered office in January of this year, is the first foreign minister to visit Israel since Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s government was sworn in earlier this month.

“It is great to be back in Israel. This is my fifth trip, but my first as Minister of Foreign Affairs,” Garneau told Lapid.

“I am delighted to meet the Foreign Affairs Minister of the new government. We have lots to talk about,” Garneau told

Lapid when he met with him in Jerusalem.

Lapid told him, “you are the first foreign minister that I have ever had the pleasure of hosting here – so it’s a first for me, too.”

During the 11-day Gaza war in May, known as Operation Guardian of the Walls, Garneau tweeted that he supports Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas rockets.

“The indiscriminate barrage of rocket attacks fired by Hamas into populated areas of Israel is absolutely unacceptable and must cease immediately,” he said.

Garneau added at the time that “Canada supports Israel’s right to live in peace with its neighbors within secure boundaries and recognizes Israel’s right to assure its own security.”

Lapid also thanked his Canadian counterpart for his country’s adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, and praised the appointment of former Canadian justice minister Irwin Cotler as special envoy for Holocaust remembrance and the fight against antisemitism.

Garneau and Cotler on Sunday visited Yad Vashem – the World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem.

“Solemn moments @YadVashem with SE @IrwinCotler. We have a collective duty to remember the victims of the Holocaust & pay tribute to the resilience of survivors,” Garneau tweeted.

“Canada is firmly committed to advancing Holocaust education, remembrance & fighting #antisemitism & Holocaust denial,” he said.

Lapid and Garneau also discussed the continued cooperation between the two countries in areas such as science, technology, space and economics.

Garneau visited Jordan before arriving in Israel and the Palestinian territories to meet with top officials on Sunday and Monday, including Bennett and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

Over the weekend, he met with United Nations officials and discussed humanitarian assistance to Gaza.