The Canada-Israel Committee (CIC) was the official representative of the organized Canadian Jewish community on matters pertaining to Canada–Israel relations.
The Canada-Israel Committee maintained offices in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Israel, and was affiliated with the Quebec-Israel Committee. Its staff consisted of experts in government policy, communications, Arab-Israeli relations and Middle East affairs, and Canadian Middle East policy.
Due to a restructuring of Jewish community bodies, effective July 1, 2011, the CIC ceased operations, and its responsibilities were assumed by its parent organization, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA).
Funding CIC was funded by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, the advocacy arm of Jewish Federations of Canada - UIA.
Programming The CIC's goal was to increase understanding between the peoples of Canada and Israel. It was a voluntary, non-profit organization that enjoyed the support of Canadians from all walks of life. In seeking to enhance Canada-Israel friendship, the CIC liaised with government, media, business and the academic sector, often submitting briefs and providing background analyses on matters of public policy. In addition, it sponsored seminars, conferences and other types of educational programming in Canada, and organized study missions to Israel.
Formational History Jewish immigration of the late 19th and early 20th centuries brought to Canada the diversity of Zionist thought, which led to the creation of several Zionist parties. Uniting these parties was difficult because each had considerable vertical integration, from international support to national and local activity. Only by way of World War II and the British Mandate of Palestine, was lasting cooperation achieved. A common solidarity to Israel united Canadian Jewry past its divisions, establishing a precedent that would lead to the beginning of the CIC.
The decades following the British Mandate saw a consolidation of Zionism in Canada. By the 1960s, several pan-Zionist organizations had been created, including the Zionist Public Affairs Committee, the Committee for Emergency Aid to Israel, and the Joint Public Relations Committee. Most of these groups were maintained on an ad hoc basis, often emerging in response to significant events in Israel.
In 1967, the Joint Public Relations Committee evolved into the Canada-Israel Committee. The new committee was authorized by public mandate to represent Israeli interests before the Canadian Parliament, public, and media. But most importantly, the CIC was designed to link Canadian Jews to the halls of power in Ottawa.
Early years The CIC underwent difficulties in its first years of operation. It was briefly disbanded in 1971 when its funding partners could not reconcile differing visions. Later in 1971, the CIC was restored. Under the leadership of Myer Bick, the CIC secured funding from B'nai Brith and hired personnel at its Montreal location. The Canadian Jewish Congress and the Canadian Zionist Federation later became funding partners to the CIC.
The 1973 Yom Kippur War compelled the CIC to magnify its reach to better service Israel in its time of need. It added a French-speaking division at its Montreal office and launched new offices in Toronto and Ottawa. The CIC was thrust to the forefront of policy making by Canada's desire to support Israel in the conflict. Because the war placed the CIC at the epicenter of Canadian decision making, the committee used its newfound influence to advance an Israel-centric foreign policy within Canada. The CIC's Toronto office performed Middle East research and published pertinent information to the news media, and the Ottawa branch focused lobbying efforts on the Canadian Parliament. It provided news outlets with features and audio-visual productions that favored Israel. In the 1980s, the CIC created an additional office in Montreal. This office maintained contact with the Ottawa office to coordinate strategy and focused primarily on regional services and activism.
Organizational structure
Leadership The Canada-Israel Committee's operations were steered primarily by its board of directors, which composed of sponsoring organizations, representatives from various Jewish communities, and a compilation of other nationally influential Zionist groups. The board met quarterly to set, plan, and implement its agenda. Additionally, the CIC was governed by its executive committee, which consisted of nine to twelve members. In times of fast-moving developments or emergencies, the executive committee would take over the helm of the CIC and functioned under a flexible response regime.
In its first decades of existence, the head of the CIC was the national executive director. This person was tasked with administering budgetary priorities and being the chief spokesman on behalf of the committee. In the end, the national executive director remained beholden to the board of directors for implementing prerogatives and reporting process. In the late 1980s, the organization modified its leadership hierarchy to a single chairman, with two Vice Chairs serving directly under the chairman. The position of CEO was also created at the Ottawa office to spearhead media and business relations, though it remained separate from the board of directors. These individuals served on the CIC board of directors in 2006: +PositionName(s)ChairMarc GoldVice ChairMoshe RonenVice ChairBarbara FarberBoard MembersSylvain Abitbol, Daniel Amar, Jason Caron, Father Raymond J. De Souza, Michael Diamond, Dr. Michael Elterman, Professor Karen Eltis, Professor Aviva Freedman, Linda Frum, Joseph Gabay, Brenda Gewurz, Norman Godfrey, Paul Goldman, Cary Green, Sidney Greenberg, Dr. Lawrence Hart, Donna Holbrook, Warren Kinsella, Honorable Leo Kolber, David Kroft, Ezra Levant, Susan McArthur, Eric Maldoff, Brian Morris, Berl Nadler, Joe Nadler, Nancy Sosenfeld, Shoel Silver, Norman Stern, Hymie Weinstein Q.C., Michael Zatzman
Mode of operation Functionally, the CIC was a centralized organization, with its focal point being the Ottawa office. This arrangement was naturally advantageous for the CIC because foreign policy itself was, and remains today, consolidated in Ottawa with the Canadian federal government. Yet the need to include all Jewish communities at the table, particularly small, rural localities, was an institutionally binding feature of the CIC. Thus, the committee decentralized some power to better incorporate all Jewish representatives across Canada into the organization.
Structure Overall, the CIC's structure was distinctly similar to the corporate model of governance. Much of its membership came from the wealthy and upper-classes of Canadian Jewry, who often had familiarity with corporate procedures, organization, and operation. Uniquely, the CIC had no due-paying membership base. This is in contrast to other Canadian Jewish organizations, such as B'nai Brith, which relied on dues. Without a membership base, the CIC could exercise independence in a manner membership-based organization could not; however, the CIC could not self-sufficiently procure revenue without members. Thus, the CIC was principally reliant on donor organizations for money, and therefore, was answerable to them.
Activity
Lobbying
Parliament CIC lobbying efforts directed toward the Canadian federal government came in a variety of arrangements. Most popular among these were standard interest group mailed letters, petitions, and phone calls to members of parliament. The CIC further employed "advertisements, demonstrations, and whisper campaigns..." With the intent to brief government officials, the CIC published a biweekly communiqué entitled The Middle East Digest to members of Parliament and senior staff. Regarded as highly reputable, the brief examined Middle Eastern current events, Israeli actions in the region, and Canadian policy, while providing recommendations moving forward. The brief, tailored for busy members of Parliament (MPs), was professionally designed with analysis presented on the broader Middle East, so as to not appear concerned solely with Israel. The CIC hoped to garner support for Israel amongst MPs with the convenience of these briefs. Moreover, the CIC invited select MPs and members of the media to attend annual trips to Israel. CIC outreach to back-benchers and new MPs was personalized to parallel the values of the Canadian parties with which it interacted. Reaching out to new MPs was seen as a generational investment in support for Israel. Doing this allowed the CIC to build and sustain ties across political persuasions. The CIC firmly believed that the back-benchers of today could become the Prime Ministers of tomorrow. Regardless of which party held power, the CIC sought enduring positive Canada-Israel relations.
To produce a government more receptive to its lobbying, the CIC issued soft warnings to MPs who voted counter to their positions. These warnings included reminding MPs the strength of individual Jewish voters in crucial swing districts and the financial power held by Jewish elites. However, the CIC was a reluctant actor in electoral politics. Local organization was predominantly in charge of informing Jewish voters who were allies to their cause and who were not. The national organization largely avoided political campaigns, leaving donations to private individuals. Instead, the CIC sought positive working relationships whichever party took power. To this end, the CIC invited all Canadian MPs to its annual dinner to nurture its bipartisan political appeal.
Bureaucracy The CIC made great strides to cultivate an image of reliability and expertise with the Department of External Affairs. On policy relating to the Arab-Israeli conflict, the CIC used its relations with the department to steer policy decisions. Former department officials attested to the CIC's ability to shape policy, especially when Israel faced external conflict. The CIC met several times per year with cabinet officials and occasionally with the prime minister. Lobbies were sent out most consistently to the Secretary of State for External Affairs, and depending on developments in the Middle East, would meet through more informal channels.
Community outreach and conciliation
Professional development Beyond lobbying, the CIC was active in the Jewish community with its circulation of research, policy memorandums, and handbooks. Every year, the CIC hosted a large conference highlighting their work. All Jews were invited, and they could connect with both politicians and organizational leadership to learn about CIC's mission and scope. Further, the CIC constructed a networking platform for Jewish industrial leaders, academia, and activists. Leadership workshops were sporadically made available for these individuals.
Striving for unification