Israel's New Consul General Vows to Strengthen Ties with Canada Amidst Strained Relations

Nadav Zysblat has just begun his posting as Israel's new Consul General in Toronto and Western Canada at a difficult time for relations between the two countries. Within days of his arrival, Canada announced it would take steps to ban the importation of goods from Israeli settlements.

Zysblat, a career diplomat who previously served in Washington and Shanghai, says his job is to strengthen, not retreat, from the relationship. He wants to expand trade and business ties at the provincial level, restore direct flights between Canada and Israel, and support local Holocaust education initiatives.

He emphasized that boycotts are not helpful to building relationships and hurt Canada's interests rather than solving the problem in the Middle East. Zysblat believes that Israel could be an answer to Canada's push to diversify its economy amidst trade tensions with the US.