Quebec’s National Assembly has rejected a call to debate a motion in solidarity with Gaza brought by Québec Solidaire (QS) MNA Ruba Ghazal.
In her motion, Ghazal—who was born in Lebanon to Palestinian refugees—wanted the Assembly to acknowledge statements by United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories Francesca Albanese, who visited Quebec this week and told a press conference by the Ligue des Droits et Libertés and Coalition du Québec Urgence Palestine, that the world is witnessing “the first colonial genocide broadcast live in Palestine.”
The CAQ government refused consent to debate, prompting Ghazal’s colleague Haroun Bouazzi—an outspoken critic of Israel who has lobbied to remove Israeli wines produced in disputed territories from government-owned stores and have the province’s pension fund divest from Israel—to shout “History will judge you” towards the government side.
Government house leader Simon Jolin-Barrette replied that “the member for Maurice-Richard is a radical and he doesn’t respect our Assembly.” While speaker Frantz Benjamin attempted to quell the ensuing commotion, Jolin-Barrette said “the only judges of the work of elected members are the voters, and we don’t have to be subjected to intimidation or disdain by an MNA.”
Albanese accused Israel of genocide during her tour of Montreal universities and denounced the Quebec government launching an office in Tel Aviv during the war.
Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) spokesman Julien Corona told The Canadian Press that Albanese is “a radical activist acting under the cover of the United Nations,” denouncing the posture taken by Québec Solidaire, “and the positions celebrated by antisemites… Québec Solidaire did not hesitate to table a motion to please those who really lead this party.”
He confirmed with The CJN an earlier statement that QS has been “devoured by entryism, taking the side of the terrorists.”
On Nov. 3, UN Watch executive director Hillel Neuer told hundreds of Montrealers gathered for a rally for hostagesthat Albanese is “someone who has stood at the UN and used her platform not to bring people together, but to spread hatred, to spread terrorism, to defend those who murder innocent people.”
Upon her May 2022 appointment, UN Watch advised the UN “repeatedly and told them not to appoint her,” providing a dossier for 10 years prior which he says demonstrated “that she’s been spreading antisemitism.”
Neuer said Albanese is part of the “eighth front” faced by Israel; “those around the world who don’t want Israel or the Jewish people to live… and among all of these haters, ground zero for the demonization of Israel is the United Nations.”
Neuer cited Albanese’s social media activity implying that “the Jewish lobby controls America” and that “a year before Oct. 7, she was encouraging Hamas at one of their conferences, telling them ‘You have the right to resist’. And time and again, she said the Palestinians have no choice but to engage in violence.
“She was justifying, legitimizing and encouraging terrorism on the day of Oct. 7 said Neuer, “and she accused Israel of aggression on Oct. 7 as they were slaughtering 1,200 Israelis and kidnapping hostages.”
A statement by CIJA on Oct. 28 said, “Albanese’s appearance on a Hezbollah-affiliated media channel and her refusal to condemn the group’s terrorism underscore her willingness to side with entities that advocate for the destruction of Israel.
“This aligns with a pattern of antisemitic rhetoric that has no place in Canadian discourse, let alone on a university campus. Most recently, she equated Israel’s efforts to combat the genocidal ambitions of Hamas with Nazi Germany—a gross and offensive distortion of history.”
Following community pressure and a demand letter from Montreal attorney and Mount Royal Conservative candidate Neil Oberman warning McGill that it would be responsible for failing to ensure “a safe and secure environment” created by Albanese’s presence, the university administration ordered the student groups welcoming Albanese this week to move their location from the law faculty to tighter, more restrictive student union building spaces, claiming matters of public safety.
Also in the National Assembly, Public Security Minister François Bonnardel moved a joint motion with members of the opposition Liberals, Parti Québecois, and two independents, to denounce events at Concordia University on Oct. 31, “reminding us that all students have the right to a safe environment.”
Concordia Student Union announced that “autonomous students”called a protest outside of Concordia’s administrative building to denounce the administration’s use of tribunals to sanction students and demand an end to police presence on campus. A confrontation ensued that afternoon with security guards and police, resulting in physical confrontations and two arrests for the assault of a security guard.
Bonnardel said “in a state governed by the rule of law like Quebec, the police are the legitimate institution to ensure respect for law and public order. The National Assembly is opposed to any prohibition of access to premises for police forces when their intervention is required.” The motion passed 102-0.
