Montreal City Council Passes Amended Gaza Solidarity Motion

The Montreal City Council passed an amended motion regarding the conflict in Gaza on Monday night with a 54-6 vote. The final text affirms solidarity with the Palestinian people and civilian victims, recognizes Hamas as a terror organization, and supports a negotiated two-state solution. It also urges federal and provincial governments to utilize diplomacy and sanctions while condemning both antisemitism and Islamophobia.

Soraya Martinez Ferrada, the Mayor of Montreal, led the effort to modify the original proposal introduced by the Projet Montréal party. The administration successfully voted 38-22 to remove specific calls for the city to suspend institutional ties with Israel and delete legal characterizations of the situation as apartheid and genocide. The mayor argued that municipal governments are not international courts and should focus on city services rather than geopolitical conflicts.

Opposition leaders and supporters of the original motion expressed disappointment. Councillor Nathalie Goulet and Official Opposition Leader Ericka Alneus argued that the modifications significantly diluted the original intent and failed to reflect the city's values. Conversely, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and B'nai Brith Canada welcomed the changes, stating that the modifications prevented the imposition of an extremist agenda and reduced the risk of importing international divisions into local governance.