Palestinians in Niagara demand action from federal leaders

In the closing days of the federal election campaign, many Palestinian Canadians in Niagara still find themselves struggling for meaningful recognition and political inclusion, as federal leaders largely avoid discussion on the issue that matters most to many of them: the war in Gaza. 

As The Pointer has previously reported, the active marginalization of the community by municipal politicians has drawn widespread criticism. In January 2024, Niagara Regional Council refused to discuss a motion calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and blocked a number of community members from coming forward to speak on the issue. The unusual conduct, led by St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe and seconded by regional councillor Laura Ip, marked the beginning of months of mounting tension around the cause of local Palestinians.

Community appeals for symbolic acts, such as illuminating regional headquarters in Palestinian colours, were flatly rejected and decried by elected officials as outside the purview of local politics. Critics were quick to point out what they saw as a clear double standard, noting that the same officials offered vocal, symbolic, and political support for Ukraine and Israel, while denying Palestinians the same.

With less than a week remaining in the current federal election campaign, many in the local Palestinian community feel their struggle to be heard and acknowledged by local elected officials at all levels of government has made no measurable gains.  

On April 12, the Niagara Movement for Justice in Palestine-Israel (NMJPI) held a rally at Lakeside Park in St. Catharines as part of the national “Vote Palestine” campaign. Co-sponsored by the Niagara Palestine Coalition (NPC), the event was one of many coordinated actions across the country in solidarity with the National March for Palestine in Ottawa. Organizers called on federal candidates to take a clear and decisive stand for Palestinian human rights and to address the deepening crisis in Gaza with concrete policy commitments, including an arms embargo on Israel, formal recognition of Palestinian statehood and increased humanitarian aid.

A group gathers at Lakeside Park in St. Catharines as part of the national “Vote Palestine” campaign.

(Vicki-Lynn Smith)

Desmond Sequeira, the coordinator of the NMJPI and one of the April 12th rally organizers, told The Pointer that several hundred recipients of an email providing information about the rally were urged to forward it to every MP candidate in their riding with a short cover note inviting that candidate to attend. The email indicated that all candidates were invited to speak. A press release also provided information about the rally which was published by at least three regional media outlets. Sequeira explained that the primary reason for requesting riding constituents to personally invite candidates to the rally was to impress on them their grave concerns about the crisis in Gaza. 

Of the three major parties, only the NDP’s Karen Orlandi responded—she attended the rally and addressed the crowd directly. In her remarks, Orlandi emphasized the need for a stronger stance both locally and nationally in support of Palestinians. 

She condemned what she described as “Canada profiting from a war on foreign soils.”

Independent federal candidate Christopher Reilly was also in attendance, as was regional councillor Haley Bateman.  Bateman was the sponsor of the original motion calling for a ceasefire made to council in January last year and she has been consistent in her show of support for the local Palestinian community.

“[I] do believe that the changes we are seeing at the Federal and Provincial level are a direct result of the residents of Niagara and other municipalities who have been advocating for a ceasefire. And that is something we can be proud of. There is much more work to be done,” Councillor Haley Bateman previously told The Pointer.

(Vicki-Lynn Smith)

Rally attendees heard a line up of speakers advocating for immediate action to guarantee peace for Palestine. They were encouraged to respectfully challenge federal candidates to publicly declare their stance on the issues surrounding the ongoing conflict and to commit to using their power to ensure the government of Canada took a proactive approach to the crisis.   

It was not lost on organizers that Liberal candidate Chris Bittle and Conservative candidate Bas Sluijmers did not attend the rally.

“Bittle and Sluijmers might use different tactics, but the goal is the same: starve the movement of oxygen by keeping it out of the conversation as much as possible,” said Gabriel Gebril, spokesperson for the Niagara Palestine Coalition. “Had either of them chosen to support us by showing up it would have been notable.” 

The Pointer reached out for comment to the campaign offices of Bittle and Sluijmers, neither responded by deadline.

Shortly after becoming Prime Minister, Mark Carney publicly called on Israel to resume the flow of essentials like food, electricity and medical supplies to Gaza while calling on Canada to work with allies to promote a “sustainable peace”.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is on record as acknowledging the tragedy of civilian casualties and attributing the suffering of Palestinians to the actions of Hamas.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has consistently advocated for a ceasefire and a political resolution.   

The issues in the Middle East have not been given much attention by the federal leaders this campaign cycle. For many Canadians, this has become a single-issue, “elbows up” election. And while it’s hard to understate the importance of the complex and pressing challenge posed by economic threats from Donald Trump, members of Niagara’s Palestinian community find it just as difficult to accept that politicians lack the capacity to engage with more than one issue at a time.

For many Palestinian Canadians in Niagara, the political silence feels predictable and deeply personal.

“If people in Niagara care about Palestine, they can’t let the attention fade,” Gebril implored.

The Pointer's 2025 federal election coverage is partly supported by the Covering Canada: Election 2025 Fund. 

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