Dozens of Palestinian protesters hurled eggs and shoes at the convoy of the visiting Canadian foreign minister Sunday in a show of defiance toward Canada's perceived pro-Israel stance.
John Baird was visiting Ramallah to meet Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki when demonstrators pelted his convoy.
The Palestinian protesters also held signs reading: "Baird, you are not welcome in Palestine" and "Baird, Jerusalem is our capital."
Baird defended his government's support for Israel, calling it "the only liberal and democratic state in the region."
Canada has been one of only a few Western countries to stand by Israel as it has come under fierce international criticism over deadlocked negotiations with the Palestinians, the recent Gaza war and settlement building.
Canada opposes the Palestinians' attempts to reach statehood without direct negotiations with Israel as well as their recent bid to pursue war crimes charges against Israel at the International Criminal Court.
Last year, during a deadly 50-day summer war in Gaza in which nearly 2,200 Palestinians were killed, drawing sharp international condemnation, Canada said Israel had the right to defend itself and blamed Hamas.
Activists from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party earlier had called for a boycott of Baird because of Canada's Middle East policies.
"This person backs up the Zionist movement," protester Abdullah Abu-Rahmeh said. "This person diminishes the rights of our people, takes part and backs up building of settlements. We tell him that he's not welcome."
