As Montreal City Council prepares to debate Projet Montréal’s motion on Gaza, author and peace activist Yves Engler says the city has an opportunity to send a powerful message in support of human rights and international law.
The motion calls on Montreal to officially recognize the genocide in Gaza and to review and sever municipal ties with Israel. Supporters argue that the city should distance itself from institutions and partnerships linked to a state accused by numerous human rights organizations and legal experts of committing grave violations of international law.
Speaking to Global Green News, Engler said the motion is important because it demonstrates that there must be consequences for what he describes as Israeli apartheid and genocide.
“We need to deliver a message that there is a cost to genocide and to cut off ties with Israel,” he said.
According to Engler, the motion is also a reflection of years of grassroots activism in Montreal. Since the beginning of Israel’s assault on Gaza, thousands of Montrealers have participated in demonstrations, marches and public education campaigns calling for a ceasefire, sanctions and an end to Canadian support for Israel.
“Those who’ve been taking to the streets most weeks over the past nearly three years should see that their activism has had some success,” Engler explained. “It’s important to demonstrate that this activism has trickled through to city politics.”
Engler believes Montreal has a particular responsibility because of its historical, political and institutional connections to Israel. While acknowledging that the specific municipal relationships under review remain unclear, he argued that the city should examine all official partnerships, exchanges and forms of cooperation.
He also pointed to the broader role of Montreal-based organizations that have supported Israeli government policies and settlement projects over the years.
The longtime activist compared the current campaign to municipal actions taken against apartheid South Africa during the international anti-apartheid movement. However, he argued that the connections between Canadian institutions and Israel are even deeper than Canada’s ties to South Africa were during that period.
“It is useful to see this in the broader historical perspective of international solidarity,” said Engler. “The city is saying no to a state that needs to be isolated.”
Engler’s comments also come after he himself was targeted by the SPVM over his Palestine solidarity activism. His arrest and detention drew criticism from supporters, who described the case as political repression and argued that Montreal police had effectively turned him into a political prisoner because of his outspoken opposition to Israel’s war on Gaza.
For Engler and many others in the movement, the episode reinforced the need for Montreal to take a clear position not only on Gaza, but also on the treatment of Palestine solidarity activists at home. They argue that a city cannot claim to defend human rights internationally while its police force targets activists demanding justice for Palestinians.
The debate comes at a time of growing public pressure on elected officials across Canada to respond to the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. Supporters of the motion argue that municipalities have a moral responsibility to speak out against genocide and crimes against humanity, even when foreign policy falls primarily under federal jurisdiction.
For Engler, the motion represents more than a symbolic gesture. It is an opportunity for Montreal to align its actions with the values of justice, equality and human rights that many residents believe should guide public institutions.
Montreal City Council is expected to debate the motion on Monday at City Hall.
Yves Engler is a Montreal-based author, anti-war activist and commentator on Canadian foreign policy. He has written numerous books on Canada’s role in international affairs and has been a prominent voice in campaigns supporting Palestinian rights.
