Montreal city council votes Monday on suspending ties with Israel

Montreal city council is set to vote Monday on a motion calling the city to suspend institutional ties with the Israeli government, its institutions and municipalities.

The motion, introduced by Projet Montréal on June 4 and resubmitted after a postponement, calls on Montreal to recognize what it describes as an apartheid regime in Palestine and genocide being perpetrated there, and to express solidarity with Palestinians and civilian victims of the conflict.

Suspending institutional ties could mean Israeli government representatives would no longer be invited to Montreal city hall and municipal officials would not accept paid trips, gifts or meals from Israel, according to Montreal Anti-Apartheid, a campaign that has backed the motion as a first step. The campaign's co-founder Sepideh Anvar said she considers the suspension "astonishing" given it comes from one of North America's largest cities.

The motion has drawn support from more than 700 Quebec artists, cultural workers and organizations, who signed a declaration urging councillors to vote in favour. Emilie Manering, a co-founder of the Quebec Artists Against Apartheid Club that organized the effort, said artists are "citizens first and foremost."

Opposition has come from the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, which advocates on behalf of Jewish federations across Canada. The organization is calling on councillors to vote down the motion, arguing it risks deepening divisions in the city and that municipal leaders should prioritize local concerns such as housing, homelessness, infrastructure and public safety. The organization has also raised concerns about the motion in the context of recent incidents targeting Montreal's Jewish community.

Neither Projet Montréal nor Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada immediately responded to interview requests.