Canadian lawmaker Erin O’Toole vowed Wednesday to move his country’s embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem if he were to become the next prime minister.
“Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the Jewish people, and the modern presence there just cements this. The Knesset, the Supreme Court and Foreign Ministry are all in west Jerusalem,” O’Toole said in a video posted on Facebook.
O’Toole, who’s a member of Canada’s Conservative Party, criticized Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for demonstrating “weakened and wavered” support for the Jewish state, saying he wants to reverse that trend.
"I also believe that we need more presence on the ground there, and I want us to explore more exchanges and collaborations with Israel to partner, much like we do with our other closest allies.
"We support a two-state solution, but that does not prevent us from doing more with our friend and ally, Israel. As prime minister, I will follow through on our policy and move our embassy."
The conservative parliamentarian further lauded former Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s for making Canada a “trustworthy friend to Israel.”
O’Toole has long been an advocate for strong relations with Israel. In February, he called “to recognize the reality that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital and move our embassy there.”
Underneath the Facebook video, O’Toole wrote that he “will actually stand up for Canada’s values and Canada’s allies.”