Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird. Photo: wiki commons.

According to a CBC report, Canada is recalling its heads of mission to Israel and the West Bank, along with its United Nations representatives in New York and Geneva, to protest Thursday’s successful UN bid for upgraded status.

“Our government’s position is clear: The only way to achieve a just and lasting peace is through negotiations, not unilateral actions,” Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said in a statement. “To that end, Canada is bringing its heads of missions in Israel and Ramallah and its permanent representatives to the UN in New York and Geneva back to Ottawa temporarily to assess the implications of yesterday’s UN General Assembly vote and inform Canada’s response to it. Canada will now review the full range of its bilateral relationship with the Palestinian Authority.”

Baird spoke during the General Assembly yesterday that voted for the upgraded status, saying, “As a result of this body’s utterly regrettable decision to abandon policy and principle, we will be considering all available next steps.”

The government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been exceptionally supportive of the state of Israel. Prime Minister Harper ranked number one on The Algemeiner’s 2011 list of top 10 Non-Jew Positively Influencing the Future and number 3 in 2012.