General

‘An attack on Israel would be considered an attack on Canada’

Tory cabinet member says Canada is prepared to take a hard line with Tehran

In a little-publicized interview with Shalom Life, Peter Kent, the Conservative minister of state for foreign affairs of the Americas, suggested Canada was prepared to take a hard line with Iran over the continued threat its nuclear program poses to Israel. “Prime Minister Harper has made it quite clear for some time now,” he said, “and has regularly stated that an attack on Israel would be considered an attack on Canada.” In the meantime, Kent said Ottawa would be pursuing efforts to impose ever-more stringent sanctions on Tehran. “We have had some sanctions for some time on equipment and materials related to the making of nuclear weapons,” Kent told the Toronto-based news site, “but it may soon be time to intensify the sanctions and to broaden those sanctions into other areas, such as economic areas which we hope would discourage Iran from its current course.” However, should diplomatic efforts prove ineffective in containing the Iranian threat, Kent said Canada wouldn’t rule out a military strike: “[It] is the last possible option but that remains in the broad range of options and unfortunate possibilities”

Shalom Life

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