Shimon Peres Thanks Canada for Staunch Support Israeli President Shimon Peres is thanking Canada for its staunch support on his five-day trip to the country. Peres said Monday recent remarks by government officials in support of Israel have not gone unnoticed. Peres arrived in Canada just days after Canadian foreign minister John Baird told a Jewish audience that "Israel has no greater friend in the world today than Canada." Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government has drawn criticism for dropping Canada's traditional, self-styled "honest broker" role that supported both Palestinian and Israeli ambitions in the region. Peres is the second high-profile politician to visit Canada in recent weeks, following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's brief stop in Ottawa in March. His visit includes a state dinner. He will also visit Toronto and Montreal.