Opposition politicians at Montreal city hall are urging the city to suspend institutional ties with the Israeli government, arguing the move would represent a meaningful local response to the war in Gaza.
The motion, introduced by Projet Montréal, the Official Opposition at city hall, calls on Montreal to recognize and denounce what it describes as an apartheid regime in Palestine and a genocide being perpetrated there, while expressing solidarity with Palestinians and other civilian victims of the conflict.
The proposal also explicitly denounces antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism and all forms of hate.
It further calls on the city to suspend institutional ties with the current Israeli government, its institutions and municipalities, including the suspension of invitations to Israeli diplomats and government representatives to official City Hall events.
The motion was on the agenda for Monday’s city council meeting, where councillors were greeted by protesters carrying Palestinian flags and chanting “Free Palestine.” Several pro-Palestinian groups gathered outside city hall to support the measure.
Projet Montréal leader Ericka Alneus said the motion is directed at the Israeli government, not the city’s Jewish community.
“The Jewish community doesn’t have to be condemned in any shape or form for what is happening by the government of Israel in Gaza,” Alneus told Global News on Monday.
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The opposition’s proposal has received backing from Montreal Anti-Apartheid, a campaign launched during the city’s 2025 municipal election, though organizers say it falls short of their broader demands.
Sarah Shah, co-founder of the Montreal Anti-Apartheid Movement, said the city should apply the same standards to Israel that it has applied to other countries accused of violating international law.
“When Russia invaded Ukraine, the city of Montreal immediately cut ties with Russia and stopped receiving the Russian consul general at city hall,” Shah said. “All this motion asks is to apply the same rules to Israel that it does to other countries that break international law.”
The campaign’s broader demands include cutting, rather than suspending, ties with Israel, divesting from Israeli entities and companies that it says contribute to apartheid and genocide, and providing greater support to Palestinian refugees.
The motion has also drawn support from more than 700 Quebec artists, cultural workers and organizations, which have signed a declaration urging councillors to vote in favour.
Jewish advocacy groups have strongly criticized the proposal.
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs is calling on councillors to reject the motion, arguing it risks deepening divisions in Montreal and distracts from municipal priorities such as housing, homelessness, infrastructure and public safety.
B’nai Brith Canada and its Quebec director, Paola Samuel, have also criticized the proposal.
“We think this motion is very divisive, it’s full of falsehoods,” Samuel said. “It’s creating division in a city that’s already been deeply divided since Oct. 7.”
Speaking to the media before the meeting, Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada stopped short of endorsing the motion, saying foreign policy falls under federal jurisdiction and stressing the importance of maintaining social cohesion.
“Our responsibility is making sure that we’re working toward services to citizens and making sure we have social cohesion and people are respected,” she said. “We have to find a way to get people together, even when those conversations are difficult.”
Martinez Ferrada added that the city remains open to adopting motions defending international human rights.
The proposed measure was originally scheduled for debate in June but was postponed until August. Supporters hope its adoption could encourage other Canadian municipalities to take similar action.
The motion was expected to be debated and put to a vote later Monday.
— With files from The Canadian Press.
