Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada on Monday rejected the idea that the city should set foreign policy as the city council prepared to vote on a motion to suspend institutional ties with Israel.
“The role of city council is not to dictate foreign policy,” Martinez Ferrada said at a press conference ahead of the scheduled vote. “That is the role of the government of Canada.”
The motion, introduced by the opposition Projet Montréal on June 4, was originally scheduled for a June 15 council meeting. Martinez Ferrada later removed it from the agenda, pushing the vote to Aug. 24.
The proposal calls on Montreal to recognize and denounce what it describes as an “apartheid regime” in Palestine and “genocide” there, while expressing solidarity with Palestinians and other civilian victims of the conflict. It also calls for suspending institutional ties with Israel’s current government, its institutions and municipalities, including by no longer inviting Israeli representatives to official events at city hall until Israel meets conditions outlined in the motion.
B’nai Brith Canada urged the council to reject what it called a “divisive, one-sided motion,” warning that the proposal could exacerbate tensions between communities.
“There is a documented correlation between conflict in the Middle East and increases in antisemitism,” the group said in an open letter, citing its annual audits of antisemitic incidents.
The Hellenic Community of Greater Montreal also urged council members to reject the proposal, stating they should consider its “foreseeable repercussions” for Montreal’s Jewish community, including concerns about safety and the ability of Jewish residents to participate in city life “without feeling marginalized or held responsible for the actions of a foreign government.”
