Donation to Palestinians good for Israel, Canadian foreign minister says

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Canada's pledge of hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to the Palestinians will be good for Israel, the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs said in Jerusalem on Monday. Canada has announced it will give $300 million to the Palestinians over the next five years. The donation, Bernier said Monday before meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, is the fifth-largest financial commitment from donors who have promised to bolster Palestinian moderates and support nascent peace talks with Israel. "But we are doing that because we want Israel to be able to live in peace and security with its neighbors," Bernier said. "Canada is 100 percent beside the peace process. It's very important for us." The moderate Palestinian government of President Mahmoud Abbas is to use the donor money to reform security forces and build the institutions of a future state.