Chief of the Defense Staff of Canadian army visit Israel to strengthen military ties 2204131

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Defence & Security News - Canada
 
 
Monday, April 22, 2013, 08:31 AM
 
Chief of the Defense Staff of Canadian army visit Israel to strengthen military ties.
Thomas Lawson, Chief of the Defense Staff of the Canadian Forces, arrived in Israel on Sunday, April 21, 2013, for talks focusing on "mutual security challenges as well as cooperation between the two militaries," Israel Defense Forces ( IDF) said in a statement. Lawson's first official visit to Israel will focus on "mutual security challenges as well as cooperation between the two militaries," according to the statement.
     
Thomas Lawson, Chief of the Defense Staff of the Canadian Forces, arrived in Israel on Sunday, April 21, 2013, for talks focusing on "mutual security challenges as well as cooperation between the two militaries," Israel Defense Forces ( IDF) said in a statement. Lawson's first official visit to Israel will focus on "mutual security challenges as well as cooperation between the two militaries," according to the statement.
Thomas Lawson, Chief of the Defense Staff of the Canadian Forces.
     

Lawson is hosted by his Israeli counterpart, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz, and is scheduled to attend briefings with senior military commanders on developments in the Middle East.

Israeli-Canadian diplomatic and military ties have strengthened dramatically over the past year. Canada was one of the nine countries, including the United States and Israel, to oppose the Palestinians' successful bid to upgrade their UN status to that of a non-member observer state in November 2012.

Calling the unilateral Palestinian move "an impediment to peace, " Canada protested by temporarily recalling its heads of mission to Israel and the West Bank, as well as its UN representatives in New York and Geneva.

However, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who is considered by some as Israel's staunchest international backer, phoned his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu to protest his announcement of plans to advance settlement construction in the West Bank in response to the Palestinian UN bid.