MONTREAL, QC (August 25, 2026) – While StandWithUs Canada is relieved that the motion put forward to Montreal’s City Council was not adopted as originally presented, significant concerns remain about the City Council inserting itself into an international conflict through a motion that advances false and harmful narratives about Israel and the Jewish people.
The amended motion removed several of the original proposal’s most inflammatory provisions, such as falsely accusing Israel of genocide and apartheid. It also added important language recognizing Hamas as a terrorist organization and condemning terrorism, hostage taking, violence against civilians, and antisemitism.
Ultimately, the final motion removed the call to suspend Montreal’s institutional ties with Israel, Israeli institutions, and Israeli municipalities. While the most discriminatory provisions of the motion were removed, the final motion still places Montreal City Council in the position of weighing in on complex international conflicts through a resolution that disproportionately targets Israel.
This vote, and the original framing of the motion, were part of a broader Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) Movement, and a strategy that specifically targets local governments and other institutions to isolate Israel. The primary responsibility of a municipal government is to govern the city and serve its residents, not to take positions on complex international conflicts and promote a discriminatory movement that marginalizes certain communities.
Such actions are particularly concerning at a time of heightened antisemitism within Montreal’s communities, which has been contributed to by disinformation about Israel and the Jewish people in the aftermath of the October 7 attack on Israel. Municipal leaders have a responsibility to consider how their words and actions affect the safety, security, and sense of belonging of all residents. City Council should focus on bringing Montrealers together and addressing the issues within its jurisdiction, rather than contributing to the causes of violence that put their residents at risk.
