Following Stéphane Dion’s first meeting of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s new government, Canada’s new foreign minister announced that significant changes would be made in Canada’s approach to the Middle East.
Dion stressed that Canada will change its approach and will
be an "honest broker" in the Middle East as it focuses on improving its
relations with all "legitimate partners."
"Israel is a friend, it is an ally but for us to be an
effective ally we need also to strengthen our relationship with the
other legitimate partners in the region," Dion said.
He also underscored the importance of strengthening relations with Beirut that would "help Lebanon but also Israel."
"To be helpful, you need to strengthen your relationship
with the other legitimate partners and that is what we will do," the
foreign minister emphasized
"Israel understands that for Canada
to be helpful, we need to strengthen our links with countries that are
around Israel and should be part of the solution and not becoming
completely dysfunctional as, unfortunately, Syria became."
Lebanon is governed by national coalition that includes
Hezbollah, a Shiite group with close ties to Iran that's classified
by both the US and Israel as a terrorist organization.