Outside a hall on Toronto's Exhibition Grounds on Sunday, the staff of the Bowmanville Zoo were waiting to get their livestock inside for a children's day that, unfortunately, coincided with the United Jewish Appeal's Walk With Israel, headlined at the last minute by visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Without clearance from the massive security operation, they left their camels and horses cooped up in trailers under the blazing midday sun, awaiting access through a security check point that had not been open for hours, and seemed deserted. One hesitates to joke about Gaza, but standing face-to-
face with a panting camel waiting to clear Israeli security in Toronto, and hearing a horse stomping desperately inside his trailer, the black humour came uninvited. No matter what you think about the politics of pony rides, it cannot have been pleasant in there.
But at the nearby Ricoh Coliseum hockey arena, it was a different story, an air-conditioned Zionist oasis, packed to the cheap seats with families who started arriving at dawn, and one of the few places in Canada where the very mention of Stephen Harper's name elicited a foot-stomping ovation. Inside, the goodwill was palpable, and politicians, aspiring or actual, Liberal or Conservative were aplenty. Here was bombastic Toronto mayoral candidate Rob Ford doing a half-hearted hora, and later shouting "Israel Rules!" and "God knows I could use the exercise!" There was his rival Rocco Rossi gesticulating intensely in conversation with a guy in a "Jews for Judaism: Counter-Missionary Task Force" t-shirt. Nearby was Tim Hudak, the Ontario Progressive Conservative leader, with his adorable baby daughter Miller stealing all the attention. Newsman-turned-Tory-minister Peter Kent looked at ease in front of a news camera, so cool, in fact, that his name was somehow mis-translated for the big screen subtitles as "Mr. Competent." Even Joe Volpe showed up. But the craziest political moment came when the emcee found Liberal MP Ken Dryden at, of all places, centre ice, and quipped that the Montreal Canadiens' recent loss in the Stanley Cup semi-finals was the end-point of "the greatest [playoff] run ever." Mr. Dryden, who backstopped the Habs all the way to Stanley Cup victory not once but six times, was too gracious to point out the man's colossal over-statement.
After all, it was Mr. Netanyahu the crowd wanted to see, and he was given a rock star's welcome. In a rousing speech that explicitly talked about fulfilling Biblical prophecies, he thanked the crowd for his warm reception, and spoke about being allowed by his security detail to stroll through Toronto on Saturday evening with his wife Sara. He said the Palestinian Territories must be "effectively demilitarized" because a lasting peace must be "anchored in security."
"When Israel left Lebanon, Iran moved in. When Israel left Gaza, Iran moved in. We cannot afford to make that mistake a third time. We cannot allow a third Iranian position in the hills overlooking Tel Aviv," he said. He told the people to march with pride and clarity, for peace and freedom. "You march against terrorists who target civilians, and for an army that targets terrorists," he said. As a parting gift, the UJA hosts gave Maple Leaf jerseys to him and his wife Sara and their two sons, with their names and the number 62, in recognition of Israel's anniversary. In expressing his thanks, he asked to see a hockey game the next time he comes, which in Toronto would seem to rule out another visit in May.
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