Brampton city council has voted to support in principle a pledge condemning what it describes as Israeli “apartheid” in Palestine, but has delayed officially signing the pledge until city staff review possible impacts.
Council unanimously passed a motion introduced by Wards 9 and 10 Coun. Gurpartap Singh Toor during the March 11 council meeting. The motion supports the “Apartheid-Free Network’s Community Pledge,” but asks staff to report back within 60 days before the city formally signs it.
The pledge states a commitment to freedom, justice and equality for Palestinians and declares communities that sign it to be “apartheid-free.” It also calls for ending support for what it describes as Israel’s apartheid regime, settler colonialism and military occupation.
City officials said staff will examine whether signing the pledge could affect existing municipal contracts with businesses that may have connections to Israel. The findings will be presented to council before a final decision is made.
If Brampton ultimately signs the pledge, it would join only two other Canadian municipalities — Burnaby and Powell River — that have adopted the commitment.
The issue was first brought forward by Toor in October, when he introduced a motion calling on the Government of Canada to impose a two-way arms embargo and recognize the war in Gaza as genocide. That motion also asked the federal government to expand temporary visas for people from Gaza to help reunite families.
The earlier proposal was referred to the Peel Region Interfaith Council for review and recommendations.
The motion has generated strong reactions within the community. It received support from some members of Brampton’s Muslim community but also drew criticism from Jewish organizations.
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs argued the motion goes beyond the responsibilities of a municipal government and warned that debating international conflicts at city council could deepen divisions within the community.
The organization also said such discussions risk stigmatizing Jewish residents in the city.
Toor told council the latest motion was revised from the original proposal but still calls on the federal government to expand temporary visas for Palestinians seeking refuge in Canada.
He said Canada has a long tradition of offering support to people fleeing conflict and pointed to past examples where cities in Canada took positions on international human rights issues.
The issue has also sparked controversy in other municipalities. A similar motion introduced at council in Milton failed after a tense meeting where residents and activists clashed during heated debates.
Following that meeting, Milton council later voted to restrict discussions at council to matters directly related to municipal responsibilities in an effort to avoid similar conflicts in the future.