vivian bercovici – David Akin’s On The Hill

Vivian Bercovici and John Baird — Canada’s new ambassador to Israel Vivian Bercovici, left, is introduced to reporters by Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird, right in Ottawa Wednesday. (DAVID AKIN/QMI Agency)

For the plum job of Canada’s Ambassador to Ireland, the Harper government tapped former Conservative MP (and all around nice guy) Loyala Hearn. To represent Canada at UNESCO in Paris, former Conservative cabinet minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn could console himself that his defeat at the polls opened the door to that post. Lawrence Cannon was also among the most senior members of Harper’s cabinet — until the voters in his riding of Pontiac decided they’d rather be represented by New Democrat Mathieu Ravignat. And so Cannon was consoled with the job of Ambassador to France. Continue reading From the diplomats' union, a highly qualified welcome to Canada's new envoy to Israel

On the eve of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s first-ever visit to Israel, Canada has named a new ambassador to that country whose appointment is sure to please Harper’s hosts.

The new ambassador to Israel, Toronto lawyer Vivian Bercovici (above), has had a monthly column in The Toronto Star that would please most small-c conservatives anywhere when it comes to her positions on Israel and the Middle East.

“My interest in Israel and the region goes back a long way,” Bercovici told reporters. Bercovici, who is Jewish, studied at York University and at the University of Toronto but she also spent two years at Hebrew University in Jerusalem in the early 1980s. “Now is a very important time in the region, as important as ever and I’m very honoured to be appointed to take on this role. I know that this government’s principled stands on various fronts is warmly welcomed and appreciated by both the Israeli government and the Israeli people. ” Continue reading Canada names partisan as new Israel ambassador