Amy Hamm: Cities should rescind ceasefire motions in light of Samidoun’s terrorist designation

Published Oct 19, 2024  •  Last updated 0 minutes ago  •  4 minute read

Anti-Israel protesters burn a Canadian flag outside the Vancouver Art Gallery on Oct. 7, 2024, while chanting "death to Canada." Photo by Jarryd Jaeger / X.com

It’s time for each and every Canadian municipality that passed a Gaza ceasefire motion following October 7 to summarily rescind it.

Not only were the motions toothless, self-congratulatory, and devoid of political subtlety — they were often (and perhaps entirely) driven by coercion from a terrorist group.

Vancouver-based Samidoun, finally recognized by Canada as a terrorist entity, applied pressure, shame, and even abuse to numerous B.C. city councils to adopt and pass these ridiculous motions in the months following October 7. I saw it happen firsthand in New Westminster, and watched as the same group of roaming protestors traversed the province to disrupt city council meetings in multiple municipalities .

Article content

Samidoun describe themselves as “an international network of organizers and activists” on their website. The group’s 2023 and 2024 “Calendar of Resistance” encouraged the public “to escalate their organizing and struggle.” The well-organized group posted dozens of meetups at city halls, offices of elected officials across the country, and council meetings. On X, Samidoun encouraged more of the same, asking followers to “shut down business as usual for Palestine.”

B.C. cities that passed these sham motions included New Westminster, Burnaby, Langley, Maple Ridge, Port Alberni, and Port Moody. (Sensibly, Port Moody later struck down their motion.) In addition, 86 elected municipal officials in the province signed an open letter demanding that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau call for a ceasefire, which he eventually did.

Despite being the welcome guests of British Columbia’s great many terminally “progressive” elected officials, the gallivanting antisemites put on a good show of victimhood — all the while bullying and harassing citizens and officials alike.

Article content

Article content

In Surrey, B.C., Mayor Brenda Locke told local news that the anti-Israel protestors were angry and verbally abusive when she suggested that a call for peace, rather than a ceasefire, would be more meaningful. “I was shocked, to be honest, that they were so angry,” said Locke. “Some of the stuff they were yelling at us, calling us murderers…”

In New Westminster, the group accused the city’s only Indigenous council member, Daniel Fontaine, of being a “not so subtle” racist. He left the building that particular night with a police escort for his own safety. The group derailed three separate council meetings and had one adjourned entirely. This occurred when Saeed Naguib — whose face can be found at virtually every Samidoun-organized anti-Israel event across the province — refused to leave the public delegation desk after shouting and arguing with the mayor and council. The latter responded by walking out of city chambers for an hour before coming back to ask Naguib, politely, to leave. He refused, of course. The entire meeting was then adjourned.

Another night, the group lied about their intention to speak to municipal affairs, monopolizing the city’s public delegation spots only to pivot each topic to their fever dreams about genocide. On their way out, they shouted, “From the river to the sea,” with fanatical zeal.

Article content

In May of this year, Naguib spoke at Vancouver Art Gallery in support of Samidoun leader, Charlotte Kates, following her arrest for praising Hamas and Hezbollah and chanting, “Long live October 7,” one month earlier. “We will not be intimidated. We will not go away … We will keep being loud. We will keep disrupting,” Naguib announced.

In Mission, B.C., Naguib, and a merry band of terrorist supporters, relied on emotional blackmail to push for a ceasefire motion: he suggested that if council did not do as he pleased, then they would reveal themselves to be the type of people who’d go along with genocide and would have celebrated Canada’s residential schools in real time.

In Port Moody, where the city’s ceasefire motion was rightfully revoked, mayor Meghan Lahti cited harassment and threats as a large part of the city’s decision. “This motion has been co-opted by a group that has spread hate,” Lahti said. The keffiyeh crowd intimidated and slandered those who spoke against the motion. One went so far as to threaten the child of a city councillor. They are, frankly, maniacs.

Article content

Samidoun’s calls for “death to Canada” at a Vancouver rally on the anniversary of October 7 were not surprising in the least. As Maya Angelou once said: “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” Indeed.

Samidoun has shown us, from the get-go, that they are a vile aggressor posing as a victim. They released a statement on the day that Canada — and the U.S. —named them for what they are: terrorists.

“It is meant to introduce a norm in which organizations may be designated as ‘terrorist’ for organizing demonstrations, lectures, publishing posters and engaging in entirely public and political work that challenges imperialist states’ complicity in Israeli war crimes, crimes against humanity, and ongoing genocide in Gaza,” the group published online.

They continue: “Like the Zionist entity fears the Palestinian resistance, so do the imperialist powers fear the Palestinian diaspora and their supporters that have been rising up again and again, especially since the start of operation Al-Aqsa Flood and the Zionist genocide.” For Canadians not yet aware, Operation A-Aqsa Flood is Hamas’ official name for the brutal attacks on October 7.

Article content

Their usual tactic is on full display.

For the cities that catered to the demands of terrorist thugs, might I suggest this template for a new motion:

Whereas we became an accessory to the agents and allies of a terrorist group that made a mockery of our local government, and; whereas we contributed to the unprecedented rise of antisemitism in Canada by enabling the vilification of Israel and Jewish persons, and; whereas we must recognize that we failed our tax-paying citizens by fantasizing about our non-existent influence in Middle Eastern politics. Therefore, be it resolved that the city of [insert name of municipality] remove the foot that has been stuffed into our mouth since the passing of our futile and performative demands — and rescind our ignominious Gaza ceasefire motion.

Moved, seconded, carried — amen.

National Post

Article content