The Beaches East York ONDP Executive adopts the following motion:
Whereas:
The last few weeks have seen unspeakable horrors in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank - with a civilian death toll in the thousands, killed by Hamas terrorists, the Israeli military, and settler violence. And, in that context, the ONDP removed MPP Sarah Jama from the caucus.
The ONDP has consistently stood against racism, hatred, islamophobia, and anti-semitism;
MPP Sarah Jama has expressed views that reflect the views of many within our party and match the statements of many organisations like Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and B’tselem;
Anti-semitism and support for Palestinian human rights are not equivalent;
The removal of MPP Sarah Jama from NDP caucus has caused deep divisions, anger, and despair within our party;
Her removal raises concerns about misogynoir and anti-black racism within the party;
Our Leader must take urgent action to repair relationships, initiate processes to address the immediate crisis and rebuild trust within the party;
The ONDP must build on its progress toward equity and inclusion;
We believe that our Leader needs to take responsibility for the hurt her actions have caused within our membership and in many communities;
We therefore call on our Leader to:
a) Acknowledge that the decision she made was precipitous, and has caused damage within the Party, and with broader communities and allies,
b) Offer a process and pathway for MPP Jama to return to the ONDP Caucus on mutually agreed upon terms,
c) Develop internal processes that will provide clarity about ONDP Caucus decisions, particularly with respect to removals from Caucus; on-boarding and support of new members; provide for freedom of expression and Caucus solidarity; processes for building solidarity within Caucus and within the party
d) Institute regular DEI training (that covers the concerns of the ONDP equity seeking committees) for the Leader’s Office’s staff and advisors and the Caucus and its staff