At the beginning of the meeting, Councillor Mat Siscoe moved that council remove Councillor Haley Bateman’s motion from the agenda entirely. Council voted to overwhelmingly support Siscoe’s proposal, leading to protests from many of Bateman’s supporters attending the meeting and forcing Regional Council Chair Jim Bradley to call for a recess. Photo Credit: Niagara Regional Council.
Niagara Regional Council overwhelmingly voted yesterday evening to remove an agenda item put forward by Councillor Haley Bateman that would have seen councillors consider a motion calling for a binding ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Debate over Bateman’s motion was expected to dominate the regional council meeting, with many supporters of Bateman’s motion slated to speak on the matter. This was despite the fact that the federal government, not local governments, actually make decisions on foreign policy.
At the beginning of the meeting, Councillor Mat Siscoe moved that council remove Bateman’s motion from the agenda entirely. Council voted to overwhelmingly support Siscoe’s proposal, leading to protests from many of Bateman’s supporters attending the meeting and forcing Regional Council Chair Jim Bradley to call for a recess. During the 15-minute recess, protestors were removed.
Bateman’s motion that council elected not to consider called on council to support a request for a binding ceasefire from the United Nations Security Council on the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict. Yet the Security Council itself has not acceded to such a request, as the United States has vetoed any and all resolutions on the subject.
Bateman’s motion would have also called for the federal government to remove any caps on Palestinians wanting to come to Canada who have relatives in the country.
Some of Bateman’s prepared remarks were made public by her supporters.
“I recognize that our federal government is continuously evaluating the key issues on the Israel-Palestine conflict,” said Bateman’s prepared statement. “However, we, as a Council, are often the first point of contact for people living in our community and we can play a part in supporting the wellbeing of Israelis and Palestinians living in Niagara who are deeply distraught over the safety and risk of their family members in Gaza. We have a responsibility to amplify the voices of residents across Niagara on all issues.”
Bateman’s motion also would have called for the Niagara Regional headquarters to be lit in the colours of the Palestinian flag on March 30 to show “solidarity and acknowledge the humanitarian crisis and all people struggling because of the violence and conflict in Gaza.”
Last fall, Bradley ordered that the regional headquarters be lit in white and blue, the colours of the Israeli flag, as a symbol of solidarity with Israel. This was done shortly after the Oct. 7 terrorist attack.
The current conflict between Israel and Hamas-led Gaza began on Oct. 7 of last year when Hamas launched a terror attack in Israel that killed more than 1,100 Israelis and more than 200 people were taken captive. More than 100 remain in captivity in Gaza today.
Bateman noted in her motion that Bradley expressed support for the region’s Jewish community following the Oct. 7 terrorist attack. However, he did not push a specific motion through council.
The remainder of the council meeting addressed a variety of issues. Bradley offered an update on his recent activities and noted federal investment in local housing projects. Bradley also noted his plans to present Niagara Regional Council’s priorities to the province as part of its pre-budget process at a consultation this morning. The CAO’s report and future plans on government relations were furthermore summarized during an open session.
