Israel is an incredibly beautiful country, rich in history and spiritual significance for Jews, Christians and Muslims alike. There is no other country like it in the world.

In 2016, I travelled much of Israel, from wineries and UN outposts near the northern border in the Golan, to the beautiful, arid landscapes of the Negev, while visiting holy sites across the country including the Western Wall, with multiple trips through the West Bank. We also met with Israelis and Palestinians while we were there. We learned about the “Start-up Nation” from tech entrepreneurs, met with the mayor of Jerusalem, Israel’s former ambassador to the UN, and Canada’s Ambassador to Israel. I will always think fondly of the trip.

Having grown up in River Heights, attending Rockwood, Robert H. Smith and St. John’s-Ravenscourt Schools, I had many Jewish friends and enjoyed the Bar and Bat Mitzvah scene as a young man. The food was good, the desserts were wonderful!

I was raised with strong values and was taught the importance of freedom and democracy around the world, which included support for Israel. I also understand that Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East, that it shares our Western values of freedom and the rule of law, and it is always under constant threat. Its necessity as a country, which is a safe haven for Jewish people, was made glaringly apparent after touring Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem. The events of the past year have only bolstered the need for a Jewish state that is able to defend itself from attacks by those who seek to destroy it.

I may not be Jewish, but I am a Zionist.

Zionism is the recognition of Israel as a country, and as a home for Jewish people. It is the only Jewish country in the world. Anything less than Zionism is either calling for the destruction of Isreal, or apathy towards the more than nine million people that call the country home. The global rise of antisemitism has further reinforced the need for a strong and secure Israel.

Rapidly increasing antisemitism around the globe, but specifically here in Canada, is not being met with the attention or action that it deserves. Canada must do more to protect its people by enforcing the rule of law and charging those who break the law. The death chants in our streets, the targeting of Jewish schools, hospitals and synagogues is entirely unacceptable.  

In the wake of the horrors of October 7th, Israel has not only a right to defend itself, it has a duty to protect its citizens. We would expect nothing less from our own government in Canada.

I am proud to be running for a Party that unequivocally stands in support of Israel.

On the one-year anniversary of October 7^th, our Conservative leader, Pierre Poilievre, said:

"Western democratic values depend on destroying Tehran’s proxy armies of Hamas and Hezbollah. Canada’s Conservatives have not and will not waver. We won’t bow to the radical, woke, anti-Zionist Jew haters. Because “Never Again” is now, tomorrow and every day after. We unapologetically stand with Israel through fire and water. And unite with Jews to say, 'Am Yisrael Chai!”

We all want to see an end to the conflicts in the Middle East, but I also want to live in a world where innocent hostages are returned, where Palestinians reject Hamas, where the Lebanese oust Hezbollah, and where the world finally recognizes the people of Israel deserve to live safely and peacefully in their homeland.

Royden Brousseau

Conservative Candidate for Winnipeg South Centre

Learn more about Royden at www.roydenbrousseau.ca?