A controversial anti-Israel motion scheduled for a Montreal City Council meeting has been postponed until August.
The Projet Montreal party was set to bring the motion to the Council on Monday; however, opposition from the Ensemble Montreal party and various pro-Israel groups led to the delay.
In essence, the Projet Montreal motion calls for official solidarity with Palestinians, condemnation of Israeli government actions, and suspension of municipal institutional relations with Israel while simultaneously reaffirming opposition to antisemitism.
It formally asks that the City of Montreal “recognize and denounce the apartheid regime imposed in Palestine and the genocide being perpetrated there,” while affirming that “Jewish communities in Montreal and elsewhere, as well as people of Israeli origin, cannot be held responsible for the actions of the State of Israel, and that these communities themselves face a troubling rise in antisemitism.”
Immediate suspension of ties with the current Government of Israel
It also asks that the City of Montreal suspend without delay its institutional ties with the current Government of Israel, its institutions, and its municipalities, notably by ceasing to invite representatives of Israel to official events held at Montreal City Hall, “until Israel returns to its internationally recognized borders, ceases violations of the rights of the Palestinian people, and ends its violations of international law.”
The motion cites organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, as well as the International Association of Genocide Scholars and the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention, which have characterized the actions of the Israeli government in Palestine as genocide.
It also cites the similar conclusions of Israeli human rights organizations, including B’Tselem, and the International Court of Justice.
Following the publication of this motion, Mayor Soraya Martinez’ governing Ensemble Montreal party proposed a countermotion.
Ensemble’s motion is more balanced, asking the Montreal City Council to express deep sympathy to all civilian victims of the conflicts in the Middle East, to condemn all forms of antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism, and discrimination, and to reaffirm that members of the Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Israeli, Palestinian, Arab, Lebanese, and Iranian ethnic and religious communities, as well as no Montrealer, “should ever be held responsible for the actions of foreign governments, armies or terrorist organizations.”
The Ensemble motion also introduces practical measures, such as establishing a Montreal Roundtable on Dialogue and Social Cohesion that brings together representatives of the communities concerned. It also urges the Office of the Commissioner for the Fight Against Racism and Systemic Discrimination to make recommendations aimed at strengthening the prevention of hate crimes.
The submission of Ensemble’s countermotion prompted the City Council to postpone discussion until August.
B’nai Brith Canada stood behind Ensemble’s proposed motion, saying it is “more balanced, does not label Israel as an apartheid state, and is generally neutral.”
“This is, of course, preferable to B’nai Brith and (we presume) others in the community, as the original motion contains language, which is one-sided, divisive, and misleading,” the organization said in a statement.
This incident comes amid a scandal involving serious allegations about the police in Montréal-Nord (Montreal North).
'Racial profiling, discriminatory practices' within Montréal police
Two officers have been suspended and 14 reassigned, as there have been alarming reports of racial profiling, discriminatory practices, and even officers who allegedly cut and kept hair from racialized individuals as “trophies.”
In total, 16 police officers from Station 39 are under investigation for racist and hateful acts.
“This situation highlights serious issues that risk eroding trust between institutions and the communities they serve,” said Paola Samuel, B’nai Brith Canada’s Regional Director for Quebec and Atlantic Canada.
“Montreal’s leaders should focus on these pressing realities, restoring trust, ensuring accountability, and addressing issues that directly affect our city’s residents. Yet, instead, Projet Montréal proposes severing institutional ties with Israel, pushing the City to adopt a unilateral stance on a complex foreign conflict.”
“Montrealers deserve leadership rooted in everyday realities – public safety, social cohesion, and trust in our institutions – and not initiatives that heighten divisions and divert attention from urgent issues right here at home,” she concluded.