A motion set to be debated at Montreal City Council on Monday is drawing strong reactions from both supporters and opponents after Projet Montréal announced plans to ask the city to suspend its institutional ties with Israel.
The motion, which will be presented at the June 15 council meeting, calls on the City of Montreal to recognize what Projet Montréal describes as apartheid and genocide in Gaza and to suspend institutional relations with Israel until it returns to what the motion calls internationally recognized borders, ends violations of Palestinian rights, and complies with international law.
The proposal comes from Projet Montréal, now the official opposition at City Hall. The party says the motion is intended to express solidarity with Palestinians and civilian victims of the conflict in the Middle East.
The motion has quickly become one of the most controversial issues to appear before council since the October 7 attacks and the war that followed.
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) has launched a public campaign urging councillors to support the motion. The organization argues that Montreal should follow the example of former mayor Jean Doré, who severed ties with apartheid South Africa in the 1980s.
Jewish organizations have strongly opposed the proposal.
CIJA has warned that the motion risks further inflaming tensions at a time when Montreal’s Jewish community has already experienced a significant rise in anti-Jewish incidents. The organization has called on Projet Montréal to withdraw the proposal and has argued that the measure would do nothing to address local municipal issues while further dividing Montrealers.
The debate comes at a particularly sensitive moment for the Jewish community. In recent months, Montreal has seen multiple high-profile anti-Jewish incidents, including attempted synagogue arsons, vandalism and public displays targeting Jewish institutions.
The motion is expected to be debated during Monday’s City Council meeting. Council is Montreal’s highest decision-making body and has the authority to adopt motions and official municipal positions.
Whether the motion ultimately passes remains unclear. What is certain is that a debate that began over events thousands of kilometres away is now set to unfold at Montreal City Hall, placing councillors in the middle of one of the most divisive political issues facing the city today.
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