Quebec, Israel and the Jewish community - Speech by Premier of Quebec Bernard Landry: Difference between revisions

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Much like for Quebec, the cultural future of Israel, where more than 500 000 people have a command of Molière's language, remains tied to Europe, to its French and French-speaking component. The Czech novelist [[Wikipedia:Milan Kundera|Milan Kundera]], recipient of the ''[[Prix de Jérusalem]]'', summarized this very special attachment in the first words of his short speech pronounced in French: "The Jews, even after being tragically disappointed by Europe, remained faithful to this European cosmopolitanism, and Israel, their dear found again homeland, appears to my eyes as the true heart of Europe".
Much like for Quebec, the cultural future of Israel, where more than 500 000 people have a command of Molière's language, remains tied to Europe, to its French and French-speaking component. The Czech novelist [[Wikipedia:Milan Kundera|Milan Kundera]], recipient of the ''[[Prix de Jérusalem]]'', summarized this very special attachment in the first words of his short speech pronounced in French: "The Jews, even after being tragically disappointed by Europe, remained faithful to this European cosmopolitanism, and Israel, their dear found again homeland, appears to my eyes as the true heart of Europe".


At the symbolic level, our flags have the same colour, and the [[Wikipedia:Fleur-de-lis|flower of lily]] was for a long time one of the most used Jewish symbols. This identification of the people of Israel to the lily flower is attested over a period of at least one millennium, that is to say up until the destruction of the [[Wikipedia:Second Temple|Second Temple]] (70 of our era). The lily appeared on the first coins struck under Jewish sovereignty, that is to say in 4th century BC, and was a symbol of the political autonomy of [[Wikipedia:Judea|Judaea]] in relation to the great empires. Today, the one [[Wikipedia:Israeli new sheqel|shekel]] Israeli coin (40 cents) shows exactly this symbol. Immigration also deeply transformed the face of our two societies, and the [[Wikipedia:Francization|Francization]] efforts of Quebec can be compared to the Israeli [[oulpanim]]s where Hebrew is taught to new comers. Another example, with comparable populations numerically speaking, an about equivalent GNP, our two States differentiate themselves on their continent by the importance they give the [[Wikipedia:Knowledge economy|knowledge economy]].
At the symbolic level, our flags have the same colour, and the [[Wikipedia:Fleur-de-lis|flower of lily]] was for a long time one of the most used Jewish symbols. This identification of the people of Israel to the lily flower is attested over a period of at least one millennium, that is to say up until the destruction of the [[Wikipedia:Second Temple|Second Temple]] (70 of our era). The lily appeared on the first coins struck under Jewish sovereignty, that is to say in 4th century BC, and was a symbol of the political autonomy of [[Wikipedia:Judea|Judaea]] in relation to the great empires. Today, the one [[Wikipedia:Israeli new sheqel|shekel]] Israeli coin (40 cents) shows exactly this symbol. Immigration also deeply transformed the face of our two societies, and the [[Wikipedia:Francization|francization]] efforts of Quebec can be compared to the Israeli [[oulpanim]]s where Hebrew is taught to new comers. Another example, with comparable populations numerically speaking, an about equivalent GNP, our two States differentiate themselves on their continent by the importance they give the [[Wikipedia:Knowledge economy|knowledge economy]].


Dear friends, the friendship I feel for Israel authorizes me not to dissimulate my concerns. In the region, again, history stutters. Israelis and [[Wikipedia:Palestinian people|Palestinian]]s assist in impotence to the course of a topicality which escapes the influence of wisdom and that of their interests. However, these two peoples, so similarly beaten by history, must in spite of everything take the road of dialogue. These peace negotiations have made more blood than ink run. The Israelis obtained what they did not want, attacks, and the Palestinians did not obtain what they wanted, a State.
Dear friends, the friendship I feel for Israel authorizes me not to dissimulate my concerns. In the region, again, history stutters. Israelis and [[Wikipedia:Palestinian people|Palestinian]]s assist in impotence to the course of a topicality which escapes the influence of wisdom and that of their interests. However, these two peoples, so similarly beaten by history, must in spite of everything take the road of dialogue. These peace negotiations have made more blood than ink run. The Israelis obtained what they did not want, attacks, and the Palestinians did not obtain what they wanted, a State.
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