JERUSALEM – Prime Minister Stephen Harper has received a warm welcome from Shimon Peres at the Israeli president’s office as he continues his tour of Israel.
Harper stepped out of a motorcade and was greeted by Peres at the end of a red carpet in a courtyard amid several towering cedar trees.
After entering the building, Harper sat in an elegant vestibule and penned a lengthy message in a guestbook.
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In his welcoming remarks, Peres said Harper is visiting during a challenging time, adding that “Syria is broken, Iran is broken.”
Harper replied that every time he and Peres speak, he finds it “very thought provoking,” and noted Canada is the “polar opposite of Israel” because it has “much geography but very little history.”
He said they agree that the future is the knowledge economy and there is no better example of that than Israel.
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Harper is also scheduled to meet today with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss Canada-Israeli trade and regional security issues.
Harper has forged a close relationship with Netanyahu, who routinely refers to “Stephen” as a “friend” of Israel.
After his meetings with Netanyahu and Peres, Harper’s schedule includes a visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum.
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