Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper received the King David Award in honour of his principled support of Israel and Jewish communities worldwide during the King David Award Gala, hosted by the Jewish Community Council of Montreal.
In January 2014, Prime Minister Harper made his first official visit to Israel and delivered an historic address before the Knesset. “I am deeply honoured to have been chosen as the recipient of this year’s King David Award by the Jewish Community Council of Montreal. Canada’s Jewish community continues to make tremendous contributions to every aspect of society across our great country, including here in Montreal. Our Government will continue to promote religious freedom in Canada and abroad and to take action against terrorists and extremists seeking to extinguish this fundamental Canadian value,” Prime Minister Harper said at the gala.
Keynote speaker Ronald S. Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress, said Harper has never tolerated anti-Semitism and has fought against it all his life. “Allow me to take this opportunity to say thank you – thank you for standing with Israel. Thank you for standing with the Jewish people and thank you for staying on the right side of Israel and history,” Ronald Lauder said. “Let me say this unequivocally: Israel has no better friend than Prime Minister Stephen Harper,” Lauder said to loud applause from the crowd of more than 600.
The Jewish Community Council of Montreal was established in 1922 and assists members of the community on a range of issues, offering services for the ongoing well-being of the community. The King David Gala was created to broaden the horizons of the Jewish Community Council within the worldwide Jewry. This year’s gala is focused on Jewish education being an integral vehicle to pave the way for Jewish continuity.
