NDP MPP Ejected, Censured For Pro-Palestine Comments

This article was updated on October 26th

Hamilton MPP Sarah Jama, who criticized Israel’s occupation & apartheid in the Palestine while calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, has been expelled from the NDP caucus by leader Marit Stiles, just before being censured by the Ontario Legislature, meaning she will no longer be allowed to speak or serve on committees, though she will still be able to vote on bills.

Jana’s first statement on the brutal violence in Israel & Gaza, released 3 days after the October 7th terrorist attacks by Hamas, criticized Israel’s occupation & apartheid as the root cause of the violence, the ending of which would be the only lasting peace. She also condemned Israel’s use of white phosphorus and blockading of food, water, & electricity, all of which are considered war crimes, and called for a ceasefire & de-escalation to prevent further deaths.

This statement, which did not mention Hamas or specifically condemn its terrorist attacks, which also constitute war crimes, led to weeks of pressure & criticism by the Progressive Conservative & Liberal parties, as well as constituents. Reacting to these, Jama, who does not post on social media frequently, apologized and clarified that she unequivocally condemns Hamas’ terrorism.

Jama has also threatened to sue Progressive Conservative Premier Doug Ford for libel, after he falsely claimed she supported “The rape & murder of Jewish people” and “has a long and well-documented history of antisemitism”

3 days ago, the MPP announced that her Hamilton-Centre constituency office would no longer be available for walk-ins, with in-person meetings accepted by appointment only, due to “a number of concerning calls and emails that have made us question the safety of remaining open” presumably caused by the public backlash & rhetoric against her.

In what will likely be her last speech to the legislature for some time, she reiterated her calls for a ceasefire, (which have since been joined by many federal MPP’s, including Green Party Co-Leader Elizabeth May & Liberal leadership candidate Nathaniel Erskine-Smith) and insisted the situation has only worsened since she first spoke out.

“Since I made my statement, Israel has bombed refugee camps, UN schools, hospitals, airports & the Rafah border crossing between Gaza & Egypt. The unspeakable destruction continues, & represents collective punishment against all Gazans in retaliation for attacks by Hamas.

The Ford government has nothing meaningful to say about these atrocities, and has now targeted me to distract from its own scandals. Those of us committed to Palestinian life refuse to be distracted.” She said.

“I ground my words in the realities of Israeli apartheid, and Israel’s ongoing domination and occupation of Palestinian lands. Governments and institutions in Canada are trying to use their weight to silence us. To silence workers, students, educators, and peace-loving people who dare to support Palestine. To every person taking risks to speak up for Palestinian dignity and safety, I see you, I hear you, and I am with you.”

On Tuesday, Jama revealed she was not given notice of her ejection from the ONDP until after the fact, and as a result of that, that she now had very real barriers to her work for constituents, beyond losing her ability to speak in the legislature.

“Yesterday’s decision to remove me from the Ontario NDP caucus came as a surprise to me and our office. We were immediately locked out of our emails, calendars, and databases that were used to communicate and help community members with issues that require immediate attention, such as evictions, ODSP navigation, and more. There are many constituents we can no longer get into contact with.” She said in a statement.

Dr. Jill Andrew, the NDP MPP for Toronto-St Paul’s & the party’s critic for Women’s Issues stated on X that she opposed the decision to oust Jama “for a variety of reasons”, that there was no vote or consensus on the removal by the parliamentary caucus, and that she was only informed of it after the fact.

Several members of of the ONDP Party Executive revealed on X that they also did not agree with the decision, in response to a post by activist & podcaster Jessa McLean, who called out all members of the executive to “stand up” against the party leadership.

Regional representative Akuah Frempong said she was not aware Jama would be removed from caucus and only learned at the same time as the general public, adding that “The exec is not a monolith” and that “democracy should always include discourse, while Ontario New Democratic Youth (ONDY) chair Avreet Jagdev said she was “horrified” by the move.

On Thursday, an official statement by the Kitchener Centre ONDP Riding Association called for the resignation of leader Marit Stiles due to her “colossal failure to lead at an unprecedented time of war and rise of fascism” arguing that she has “forgotten that the heart & soul of the NDP has always been rooted in defending human rights and opposing war”. They went on to allege that the decision to remove Sarah Jama from caucus “appears to be short-term political calculus”, that she “failed to support & defend” the Hamilton MPP from defamation by Premier Ford, and that she fomented anti-black racism against her. The Hamilton-Centre riding association, which Jama represents, had even harsher words in their statement: “This constitutes an attack on democracy, social justice, and all those activists who fight for truth and human rights. This shameful assault from the leader of our party is nothing less than a capitulation to the grossly anti-democratic censure by the corrupt Doug Ford Conservative Government…the ONDP leadership has demonstrated complete disrespect & contempt for the constituents of [the] Hamilton Centre riding…we feel betrayed, angry, and extremely demoralized.” They went on to demand ONDP rescind their removal of Jama from caucus, as well as a review of Marit Stiles’ leadership, though stopping short of calling for her resignation.

Sarah Jama has a long history as an activist for disability rights, anti-racism & human rights. In 2018 she founded the Disability Justice Network Ontario. In 2021, she founded the Hamilton Encampment Support Network, which focused on affordable housing access. Later that year she received media attention after being arrested in Hamilton while at a protest against homeless encampment evictions, where she was accused of obstruction and assaulting a police officer before charges were withdrawn

In 2023, Jama was elected as NDP MPP for Hamilton-Centre with 54% of the vote, after being the target of controversy during the campaign when comments of hers criticizing Israel & describing it as an apartheid state (a view shared by the United Nations & the human rights group Amnesty International) resurfaced.