By Michael Regenstreif
It was quite extraordinary – if not awe-inspiring – to watch Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shimon Peres, the State of Israel’s remarkable president and elder statesman, in action over the two days he spent in Ottawa during his official state visit to Canada, May 6 to 10.
At 88, Peres is the world’s oldest head of state, but he seems more than able to maintain a gruelling schedule of travel, meetings, speaking engagements and events that would wear out many half his age.
I was on hand for several of Peres’ Ottawa events, beginning with a Monday morning welcoming ceremony in front of Rideau Hall.
The ceremony was filled with pomp and circumstance.
With Governor General David Johnston and a long line of dignitaries, including Foreign Minister John Baird and Israeli Ambassador Miriam Ziv and a Canadian Armed Forces honour guard and military band there to greet him – as well as an invited gallery of Jewish community leaders and students from the Ottawa Jewish Community School – the Israeli president’s car arrived at Rideau Hall accompanied by Mounties on horseback.
Peres was sure-footed as he inspected the honour guard, greeted the dignitaries, listened to the governor general’s speech, made a speech of his own, and then did a royal-style walkabout to greet the invited guests.
In his remarks, Peres spoke warmly, in both French and English, about “the uninterrupted friendship that your people have shown towards my people from the very first day of our statehood.”
He also recalled his first visit to Canada, more than 60 years ago, when he was sent here by then-prime minister David Ben-Gurion to buy arms for the nascent state.
After the ceremony, the president and governor general held a private meeting inside Rideau Hall. But Peres was soon on the move again – to Parliament Hill where he was greeted by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in front of Centre Block.
Stepping inside, there was another brief welcoming ceremony where Peres signed the Parliamentary guest books before going into a private meeting with Harper in the prime minister’s office.
During his visit to Ottawa, Peres also held meetings with Opposition Leader Thomas Mulcair and Interim Liberal Leader Bob Rae. All three of Canada’s major party leaders are well regarded as supportive friends of the State of Israel.
Other events during the Israeli president’s time in Ottawa included a state dinner in his honour at Rideau Hall, a meeting with academics on joint scientific collaboration between Israeli and Canadian institutions, which culminated in the signing of a memo of understanding between the Royal Society of Canada and the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, and a ceremonial tree planting on the grounds of Rideau Hall.
As Canadian Jews, most of us have planted trees in Israel – if not literally, then through donations. But here was the president of Israel planting a tree in Canada. Quite appropriately for a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who has dedicated much of his later career to the peace process, the tree was an Eastern White Pine, which the Iroquois call the ‘Tree of Peace.’
His final event before moving on to Toronto and Montreal was a reception for 600 people hosted by Ambassador Ziv at the National Gallery attended by diplomats, cabinet ministers and MPs, Supreme Court justices, academics, journalists, military officials and Jewish community leaders.
Peres gave a long riveting speech at the reception. Holding the microphone in his hand, he spoke without a script or even notes. He talked about the State of Israel in both historical and contemporary terms, about Israel’s enduring friendship with Canada and about his past visits here. He spoke about a rapidly changing Middle East and, at length, about science and technology, making predictions about breakthroughs a decade or so away. He even cracked a couple of jokes. An amazing performance that earned sustained ovations from the high-powered audience.
As I mentioned, Peres is Israel’s elder statesman. He has been at the very centre of Israeli political life for all of Israel’s history. First as an adviser to Ben-Gurion, and his emissary, and then as a member of the Knesset, influential cabinet minister, and prime minister – he was acting prime minister for several months in 1977 and held the office officially from 1984 to 1986 and 1995 to 1996 – and now as president, Israel’s head of state.
When I heard Shimon Peres speak about the future and confidently envision a Middle East of peace and co-operation, the vision seemed like it really could come to be.
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