Robert Stanfield who was appointed by Premier Joe Clark as special Ambassador to the Middle East to sound out the feelings of Arab countries about the feasibility of moving Canada’s Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, left today for Israel, his first stop on a five-week Mideast tour.
The former progressive Conservative Party leader will remain in Israel until Sept. 15 and then visit other Mideast countries. Stanfield, who was asked by Clark to report back to him “as he see it,” told reporters in Ottawa, “So far I have no idea what I will be recommending.”
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Flora McDonald, asked whether Stanfield accepted his assignment on the basis of a pledge to move Canda’s Embassy to Jerusalem, replied; “That’s part of the terms of reference.” He has one year to report back to Clark with his recommendation. When Clark was running for election last Spring, he pledged that the Embassy would be moved to Jerusalem. Since then, he has been under pressure by Arab interests in Canada not to do so.
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