The Federal Conservatives say they will stand with Israel and recognize Jerusalem as its nation's capital.

Leader Andrew Scheer says if they form government in 2019 they will continue as a strong voice for Israel, calling the Middle Eastern country a beacon of democracy in a turbulent part of the world.

"Israel is a small but vibrant democracy in a region where there is very little freedom," Conservative Portage-Lisgar MP Candice Bergen says. "It's so important to support Israel and their sovereign ability to say where their capital is located."

She adds recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is a principled stance of foreign policy.

The long-running dispute over Israel's capital came to a head in the U.N when the U.S moved to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital last December.

Eight countries stood with the U.S, 35 abstained from the vote including Canada. In total, 128 countries voted against the U.S led initiative including Israel's neighbours: Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

However, Bergen says when it comes to doing what is right, "it's not about what's most popular... and that means standing up for human rights, standing up for freedom."

"We're telling all the other regions, that's what Canada stands for."

Winkler resident with ties to Israel, Taylor Polstra, welcomed the news, "and hopefully one day moving the Canadian Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem will happen as well," she says.

Polstra with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2008

"Canadians should care because Israel is an ally," she says, adding each nation deserves the right to choose its own capital.

While the decision will likely cause unrest, in her experience she says, "no matter what happens concerning Jerusalem, it shakes things up in the Middle East. This is nothing new."

Polstra spent nearly three years working with the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem as a staff writer from 2007 to 2010. During that time she studied Hebrew alongside local Muslims and Jews. She also met and interviewed a number of political leaders, Israelis and Arabs throughout the country in an effort to share their stories.

One of her favourite interviews was with a former Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) sniper, Taysir Abu Saada, known as 'The Butcher' who describes his experience with Jesus and conversion to Christianity. He now runs a ministry of reconciliation between Jews and Arabs.

"Only Jesus can change a heart like that," Polstra says.

Polstra with Israeli soldiers

During her time in Israel, Polstra also met with Holocaust Survivors and helped welcome new immigrants at the airport in Tel Aviv.

"It's a time in my life I will truly treasure forever," she says. "A big part of my heart is in Jerusalem."

Along with her husband and friends from the Pembina Valley, Polstra will be travelling to Israel in June and the new U.S Embassy in Jerusalem.

"I hope to one day see Canada's Embassy in Jerusalem as well," she says.

The U.S Embassy is expected to open in May to coincide with the 70th anniversary of Israel declaring its independence.