"The consequences of this conflict are already being felt here."

"In 2025, Jewish people were the target of approximately 72 percent of police-reported hate crimes in Canada motivated by religion."

"Jewish schools in Montreal have been shot at, Jewish people have been assaulted, synagogues have been attacked, and antisemitism has manifested itself in academic and professional settings through intimidation, threats and exclusion."

Open letter to Montreal city council

 

"[It] is appalling to see the official opposition at city council, for the second time in a few months, try to preserve political capital by calling on Montreal to cut ties with Israel."

"The motion is perplexing as it offers no solutions and fails to advance any debate."

"Worse, it adds fuel to the fire and risks jeopardizing the safety of the Jewish community. And thousands of Montrealers spoke out against this motion in June."

Op-ed, Montreal Gazette 

The motion, proposed by Projet Montréal in June, has been pushed back to the city council meeting on August 24. Photo Samuel Kayll

 

On June 4, the Montreal municipal council's opposition Projet Montreal called on the city to suspend institutional ties with the government of Israel, its institutions and municipalities. That would result in Israeli state representatives not being invited to official city hall events "until Israel returns to its internationally recognized borders, ceases its violations of the rights of Palestinian people and ends its violations of international law", according to the motion. The motion calls on the city to "recognize and denounce the apartheid regime in Palestine and the genocide being perpetrated there", urging the city to demonstrate solidarity with Palestinians along with other civilian victims in Southwest Asia and North Africa.

This is a motion devoid of logic and purpose. The internationally recognized borders have as yet not been formally fully identified. This lopsided, one-sided motion mentions nothing of Israel's forced constant vigilance against Palestinian terrorism targeting Israeli citizens in deadly attacks. Palestinian rights to have its leaders negotiate with Israeli leaders to conditions appealing to both sides that would result in the formal recognition of a Palestinian state in exchange for a formal Palestinian recognition of the Israeli state have never been violated. Each attempt by Israel to persuade Palestinian leaders to accept Israel's sovereignty has failed.

As for the motion's confusion in denouncing 'the apartheid regime in Palestine' when it mean its target to be Israel, it was a felicitous reality reached by accident, for it is the Palestinian Territories that in effect and in real time are true apartheid regimes; no Jew would ever be able to live freely among Palestinians who have been taught to loathe their presence and react with deadly violence. Whereas in Israel, there are two million Palestinian Arabs who have Israeli citizenship, are able to vote, have representatives in the Knesset, are appointed judges, and work alongside Israeli Jews in academia, medical institutions and other key civil areas. 

 

Pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel demonstrations at Quebec universities  universityaffairs.ca

 

"I am not going to debate a war on the other side of the world, and that is exactly the point. A municipal government has no jurisdiction over foreign policy. Cities do not end wars."

"This city has been a safe haven for my family and so many others, and it must remain one for everyone."

Shopify president Harley Finkelstein

 

"[B'nai Brith] continues to advocate against the so-called anti-Apartheid motion being proposed by Projet Montreal."

"The motion is a one-sided invective that unduly targets Israel. It is unacceptable for this unreasonable and irresponsible motion to be passed while Canada is experiencing a national crisis of antisemitism."

Paola Samuel, B'nai Brith spokesperson  

One of Montreal's most prominent and successful entrepreneurs, Harley Finkelstein, deplores the motion, writing that he is "speaking up because this motion is dangerous for Montreal, and my reason has nothing to do with which side of that w are you are on". His family, he recounts arrived in Montreal as refugees in 1956. The city, he wrote, gave them "safety dignity and the chance to build. That promise has drawn generations of immigrants here from every corner of the world".

 

Condemnation of the motion before Montreal council took the form of an open letter when Montreal's legal and medical communities stated that the motion "goes far beyond an expression of solidarity with Palestinian civilians. It asks Montreal ... to declare that a 'genocide' is underway',", while urging the city to suspend ties with the Israeli government. Lawyers point to the legality of the proposed measure falling within the powers conferred on the city by the provincial legislature; city councils do not determine international law.

 

To parallel the advocacy efforts, an opinion piece was published in the Montreal Gazette by the senior vice-president (Quebec) at the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, Eta Yudin, along with Yair Szlak, president and CEO at Federation CJA. Pointing out the absurdity of the motion's thesis, while its slanderous accusations pose a real risk to the security of the Montreal Jewish community which has received far more of its share of aggravated harassment and threats than rational reality can account for.  

"Montreal can acknowledge the suffering of Palestinians and Israeli civilians, call for respect for international law, and recognize Hamas's responsibility, and the realities Israel has faced since October 7."

"It does not need to enshrine legally contested allegations in a resolution or lay the groundwork for an institutional, economic or cultural boycott that exceeds its powers and threatens rights protected by our Charter."

Open letter to Montreal city council 

Council meets at city hall in Montreal on June 15. John Mahoney / Montreal Gazette

  

"Since the 2023 attack on Israel, hatred and violence against the Quebec Jewish community have skyrocketed. Synagogues and schools were targeted, and citizens were insulted and dehumanized. The latest hate crime statistics from the Montreal police and across the country are damning. Jews, representing less than one per cent of the population, are the No. 1 targets of hate."

"Meanwhile, a radical fringe element is taking advantage of political laxity to impose an agenda contrary to Quebec’s shared values. Given the ties forged during the last municipal election campaign, some have seemingly succeeded in advancing an agenda that rejects living together. By giving in to these pressures, Projet Montréal and its elected officials are only undermining cohesion among our communities."

"As the Aug. 24 city council meeting approaches, Projet Montréal’s reintroduction of its divisive and incendiary anti-Israel motion, which is written in a haphazard, unnuanced and biased manner, once again appears more like a political manoeuvre than a genuine desire to serve Montrealers."

Eta Yudin and Yair Szlak, Special to Montreal Gazette