[R-G] Protesters disrupt Israeli ambassador's speech

[Anthony Fenton]

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=989d4ec4-4579-4460-a85d-d74781a3959c

Protesters disrupt Israeli ambassador's speech
IRWIN BLOCK, The Gazette
Published: 7 hours ago

About 25 pro-Palestinian demonstrators pushed their way into a major  
midtown hotel yesterday to disrupt a luncheon speech by Alan Baker,  
Israeli ambassador to Canada.

Chanting ''free Palestine'' and ''refugees will return,'' they managed  
to dodge hotel security and Montreal police to burst through two doors  
as Baker was in mid-speech.

The protesters part of the social activist group Tadamon, which means  
''solidarity'' in Arabic, were forced to leave the Queen Elizabeth  
Hotel after about 10 minutes. There were no arrests.

Baker was speaking about Canada-Israel relations to 110 people, most  
of them Jews, at a luncheon sponsored by the Montreal Council on  
Foreign Relations.

"It's regrettable that they managed to find their way up to the hall,  
but these things happen, " Baker said later.

Asked to comment on what appeared to be a security breach, Baker said:  
"I wouldn't want to comment one way or the other."

But council president Pierre Lemonde said the incident was deplorable  
and regrettable.

During his speech, Baker said negotiations with Hamas, which controls  
Gaza, are impossible as long as it refuses to accept the legitimacy of  
a Jewish state.

"They are prepared to come to some informal ceasefire arrangement ...  
something far lower than a relationship of mutual recognition and peace.

"Negotiations with Hamas is like negotiating with God - no  
compromises," Baker said.

iblock at thegazette.canwest.com