Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay said Sunday the Canadian government made the right decision when it threw its support behind Israel in its fight against the militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon.

MacKay, who spoke at a United Jewish Appeal Federation dinner in Toronto, defended the position of Harper government on Israel, saying the Jewish state has a right to defend its borders.

The federal government has come under fire for taking what many believe is a hardline stance on the summer conflict that devastated parts of Lebanon and left more than 1,200 civilians dead.

"Israel is a democratic and sovereign state both in fact and law. It doesn't need anybody's permission to exist," MacKay told the crowd, according to the Canadian Press.

"It has a right to ensure its own security, including the right to protect its own citizens from attack."

Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay responds to questions following question period in Ottawa on Monday.
(Tom Hanson/Canadian Press)

MacKay said Prime Minister Stephen Harper showed leadership when he insisted at a recent Francophonie summit in Romania that a resolution recognizing the suffering of Lebanese people during the conflict be amended to acknowledge the suffering of Israeli people as well.

MacKay also made reference to the Canadian mission in Afghanistan, saying the government is making a difference to the troubled country.

"With every advance towards founding a functioning democracy comes a lessening chance that Afghanistan, or further strife in the Middle East, will become a source of terrorism aimed at Canada and our allies," he said.

"That's why Canada is there and that's why we should stay there till the job is done."

The United Jewish Appeal Federation is an organization dedicated to preserving and strengthening the quality of Jewish life.

On Oct. 18, Harper spoke at a B'nai Brith dinner in Toronto and said Israel can expect the full support and friendship of Canada as it defends itself from extremists.

Harper quickly sided with Israel in July after it launched an offensive into Lebanon to fight Hezbollah, which had captured two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid. The conflict, which ended in a ceasefire on Aug. 14, lasted 34 days.

With files from the Canadian Press