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On November 29, 1947 Canada was one of 33 nations to support United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181, the plan to partition Palestine into separate states, one Arab and one Jewish. With Canada's de jure recognition of Israel on May 11, 1949, a dynamic and enriching relationship began. Israel established a consulate general in Montreal in 1949. In 1953, embassies were opened in Ottawa and Tel Aviv.
Dialogue and cooperation have been the underlying tone of the interaction between the governments and peoples of Canada and Israel. Already in the mid-nineteenth century, Canadian pilgrims and touristsvisited the Holy Land and representatives of the Jewish communities in the Eretz Israel turned to their brethren in Canada. Through the next 100 years these connections grew to include migration, settlement, exploration, education, investment, trade, philanthropy, missionary work, and military action. When official relations were established, the areas of cooperation blossomed. Numerous treaties and agreements between Israel and Canada and its provinces have facilitated the sharing and exchange in areas of law, science, medicine, technology, culture, sports, and the arts. Trade relations that go back more than a century when wines and Jaffa oranges reached Canadian markets, evolved into the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement of 1998 and an expanding bilateral movement of goods which surpassed the billion dollar mark in 2004.
Despite the geographic distance, the friendship between the two nations has deepened through state visits of Canadian and Israeli prime ministers, government ministers, elected representatives, supreme court judges, and trade missions. Cooperation between Israel and Canada is expressed in many quarters including legal and judicial matters, science, transportation, academic research, health, security, and agriculture.
The stamp designer Karen Henricks of the Toronto based firm, q30 design explains the thinkinc behind the design, "Through illustration, we arE able to communicate the rich topic of diplomacy between two nations. Complex topics like this can be challenging to summarize in one small design. We worked with illustrator Yarek Waszul whose simple yet conceptual style lends itsel perfectly to this topic and the medium. "ThE lightness of the design underscores in vibran colour the dynamic and multifaceted relationship not only between the governments of Israel anc Canada but also their peoples.
Dr. Joseph B. Glass
Centennial College
Toronto, Canada
