Much to its credit, Montreal’s city council recently passed an amended version of an unacceptable motion that called for severing institutional and diplomatic ties with Israel.
The final version, which passed by a margin of 56 to 6 after a contentious debate, removed earlier references to Israeli “apartheid” and “genocide” and expressed “solidarity with the Palestinians as well as with all civilian victims of hostilities” in the Middle East.
The new motion also pays respect to international humanitarian law and supports any judicial process to examine possible violations of it in the Gaza Strip, where Israel and Hamas fought a two-year war that erupted following Hamas’ one-day invasion of southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
Projet Montreal, a progressive, environmentalist municipal party that forms the opposition in city council, introduced the original resolution. It demanded the immediate suspension of the city’s “institutional ties with the current government of Israel, its institutions and its municipalities.”
If Projet Montreal’s divisive motion had passed, Israeli government representatives would no longer have been invited to Montreal 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.”
This motion also stipulated that Montreal “recognizes and denounces the apartheid regime imposed in Palestine and the genocide perpetrated there.”
Another clause condemned rising antisemitism and said “the Jewish communities of Montreal and elsewhere, as well as people of Israeli origin, cannot be held responsible for the actions of the State of Israel.”
The original motion was watered down after national Jewish organizations raised strong objections.
B’nai Brith Canada argued that it was “inappropriate” and would “further normalize the targeting of our Jewish community” and “exacerbate tensions between communities.”
“It is deceitful and inflammatory to conflate Israel with apartheid South Africa,” B’nai Brith added. “Canada has rejected the view that Israel’s actions constitute apartheid. No court of competent jurisdiction has found that a genocide has occurred.”
In an open letter, 50 Montreal lawyers voiced doubt whether city councils have the powers to determine international law.
Harley Finkelstein, the president of Shopify and a resident of Montreal, pointed out that municipalities do not have jurisdiction over foreign policy.
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs described the original motion as “perplexing” because it offered “no solutions and risks jeopardizing the safety of the Jewish community.”
Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada shared the objectors’ concern, saying that municipalities are not empowered “to make determinations about international crises,” but adding that Montreal had no intention of “turning a blind eye to Gaza.”
Projet Montreal was disappointed by the outcome, but called the motion of solidarity with the Palestinians a “historic breakthrough.”
“Palestine deserves the same solidarity as Montreal has expressed towards so many other peoples,” the party said in a social media statement. “Thousands of Montrealers have loved ones directly affected and we have the responsibility to stand by their side.”
In retrospect, the amended motion strikes a proper balance.
As the Montreal daily Le Devoir reported, city council has passed resolutions regarding human rights violations in Iran, Haiti and Rwanda. And in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russian diplomats were no longer invited to events hosted by the city.
On the other hand, motions concerning international affairs should be left to the federal government. Montreal has enough on its plate without having to expend time and energy on a motion that irretrievably divides the city and a foreign conflict that utterly defies diplomacy.