The opposition party at Montreal City Hall, Projet Montréal, is moving forward with a motion calling on the city to sever institutional ties with Israel ahead of the August 24 council meeting.
The motion, originally introduced in June by interim party leader Ericka Alneus and city councilors Nathalie Goulet and Alex Norris, asks the city to "recognize and denounce the apartheid regime in Palestine and the genocide being perpetrated there, and affirm solidarity with Palestinians and other civilian victims of hostilities in the Middle East."
The text further requests the suspension of official ties, calling on the city to "suspend institutional ties with Israel's current government, including by not inviting representatives of the state to official events held at city hall 'until Israel returns to its internationally recognized borders, ceases its violations of the rights of the Palestinian people, and ends its violations of international law.'" While the vote was initially delayed after Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada removed it from the agenda amid political debate, Projet Montréal has signaled its intent to bring the text back to the floor.
Proponents claim text is consistent with city's values, advocates and community leaders disagree
Proponents of the measure have defended the text as consistent with the city's values. According to statements from Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME), the motion is viewed as a concrete step after years of public appeals following the events of October 2023, with proponents arguing that municipal bodies should take a stand on human rights. CJPME has explicitly drawn parallels to the 1980s when former Montreal Mayor Jean Doré cut institutional ties with apartheid South Africa, pointing to that precedent as establishing Montreal as a pioneer city for upholding human rights.
Conversely, the motion has faced opposition from community leaders and advocacy groups.
'Montréal needs a city council that focuses on local issues'
Addressing the broader climate in a statement to The Jerusalem Post, Eta Yudin, senior vice-president for Quebec at the Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), pointed to the recent Fierté Montreal pride parade, stating that "social peace and a discourse promoting inclusion were able to take center stage" because participants "collectively refused to import the hatred from a distant conflict."
Yudin warned that "importing a foreign conflict to appease extremists or for electoral calculations only fuels division, chaos, and violence," adding that the opposition party "must draw conclusions from the rejection of its recent motion thanks to an exceptional mobilization of Montrealers, Jewish and non-Jewish alike." Concluding that the situation "should serve as a lesson to Projet Montréal ahead of the municipal council meeting," Yudin emphasized that "Montréal needs a city council that focuses on local issues."
The motion comes amidst a series of hate incidents targeting Jewish communities across Canada in recent months, including an attempted arson attack on a prominent Westmount synagogue, the targeting of Jewish individuals, and instances of vandalism and harassment.