Hamilton-Centre MPP Sarah Jama has been removed from the NDP Caucus and censured by the government over her comments on the Israel-Gaza war.
The Doug Ford government voted in favour of a motion on Monday that acts as a formal disapproval of Jama’s statements and essentially silences Jama in the legislature until she issues a formal apology and deletes her initial social media post about the war.
Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles said the move was “undemocratic” and that the Ford’s Conservatives “have now disenfranchised the voters of Hamilton Centre.”
“To exploit the crisis in Israel-Palestine for their own political gain is a new low for Ford’s corrupt Conservatives, who are desperate to distract from the fact that they are under criminal investigation by the RCMP,” she wrote on Monday.
“This extreme motion has barred a member from participating in the Legislature just six months after she were elected. It sets a dangerous precedent,” she added.
However, moments before the vote was cast Stiles announced that Jama would be removed from the NDP Caucus following her initial remarks on the war.
“Our caucus and staff have made significant efforts to support her during an undoubtedly difficult time. Since then, she has undertaken a number of unilateral actions that have undermined our collective work and broke the trust of her colleagues,” Stiles wrote.
The move means Jama will now sit as an independent in the legislature.
Before the Ford government voted to censure Jama, she spoke in the legislature and reiterated her initial statement for a ceasefire.
“The Ford government has done nothing meaningful to say about these atrocities and has now targeted me to distract from its own scandals. And those of us committed to Palestinian life refuse to be distracted. I restate my call for an immediate ceasefire by Israeli forces and for the immediate restoration of food, water, fuel and electricity in Gaza,” she said Monday morning.
JAMA’S REMARKS SPARK OUTRAGE
Earlier this month, Jama posted a statement in regards to the war on X, formerly known as Twitter, with the caption, “I’m reflecting on my role as a politician who is participating in this settler colonial system, and I ask that all politicians do the same.”
“I call for an immediate ceasefire and de-escalation. We must look to the solution to this endless cycle of death and destruction: end all occupation of Palestinian land and end apartheid,” she wrote on Oct. 10.
Jama’s remarks received condemnation from Jewish groups and calls for resignation, including from Premier Ford.
Stiles also said Jama’s comments were not in line, nor approved by the party, and that she had asked Jama to take back her remarks, according to CP24.
A day later, Jama apologized saying, “I understand the pain that many Jewish and Israeli Canadians, including my own constituents, must be feeling.”
“To be clear, I unequivocally condemn terrorism by Hamas on thousands of Israeli civilians. I also believe that Israel’s bombardment and siege on civilians in Gaza, as was also noted by the United Nations, is wrong,” she added.
However, Jama did not remove her initial statement and has instead pinned it to the top of her X feed.
FORD CALLS FOR JAMA’S RESIGNATION
Following Jama’s initial remarks, Ford tweeted that Jama should resign immediately.
“Sarah Jama has a long and well-documented history of antisemitism,” Ford said in a statement on X on Oct. 11.
“As premier, I’m doing what Ms. Stiles won’t and calling on Sarah Jama to resign immediately as a member of the Provincial Parliament,” he added.
In response to Ford’s statement, Jama sent him a cease-and-desist letter over what she called “defamatory” remarks that accused her of having a history of antisemitism, according to CTV News.
The letter says the public comments have done serious harm to Jama’s reputation and imply that she is racist towards Jewish people and sympathetic to terrorism, CTV News reports.
Amid the controversy, Jama tweeted last Friday that her Hamilton Centre office had been closed temporarily and staff are working remotely in response to “a number of concerning calls and emails.”
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