Canadian suburb plans to impose $1,000 fine for removing Israeli hostage posters
A Canadian suburb plans to pass a new bylaw that would impose a $1,000 fine on anyone who removes posters of Israeli hostages.
The mayor of Hampstead, a town in Montreal with a large Jewish population, posted to X last week announcing the proposed bylaw.
“Hampstead will adopt a bylaw that will impose a $1,000 fine to any person that removes the Israeli hostage posters from public property,” tweeted Mayor Jeremy Levi.
He went on to say that 100% of the money collected from any infractions will be donated to Israel.
— Jeremy Levi (@jerlevi) November 2, 2023
On Saturday, October 7, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared the country at war after the Gaza Strip’s governing militant group, Hamas, fired thousands of rockets, and fighters infiltrated the border in several locations.
The attack killed 1,400 people, mostly Israeli civilians.
Over 200 Israelis were also believed to have been taken hostage by Hamas, which is classified as a “radical Islamist-nationalist terrorist organization” by the Canadian government. Hamas has since released two American-Israeli hostages.
The Israeli government’s retaliation, which UN experts have described as a “mass ethnic cleansing,” has lasted over a month now. The state’s forces blasted Gaza with airstrikes overnight on Sunday into Monday.
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As of November 6, over 10,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza.
In an email response to Daily Hive, Levi says Hampstead plans to impose the $1,000 fine proactively to “ensure that there won’t be any vandalized posters.”
“There have not been any issues, and we intend to keep it that way,” he wrote.
There have been multiple reports around the world of people taking down posters of kidnapped Israelis.
Levi says the draft bylaw is expected to pass unanimously on November 14, followed by a special council meeting on November 20 for the final bylaw to come into force.
While many replied to the mayor’s announcement with gratitude…
Beautiful. Thank you, Tzadik
— Leandro Taub (ליאור) (@LeandroTaub) November 3, 2023
All Canada should do the same!!! Thank you mayor ❤️
— Shirley Rubinshtein (@ShirleyRubinsh1) November 5, 2023
There were also several replies asking Levi if the same fine would apply to posters of Palestinians killed in the conflict.
“So Mr. Jeremy, if I post the poster of the 3000+ children that have been killed by IDF bombs and guns and all other people who were killed by the blast next to the same poster of Israel victims, are you personally going to take them off? Are they not innocent, too? Stop this war,” replied one user.
So mr jeremy, if i post the poster of the 3000+ childrens that have been killed by IDF bombs and guns and all others people who were killed by the blast next to the same poster of Israel victims,are you personally going to take them off. Are they not innoncent too. Stop this war
— BE FAIR. (@ahabib4780) November 4, 2023
How about the children of Gaza???????
— Gabriel Lo Russo (@GabrielLoRusso1) November 3, 2023
Daily Hive posed the question to Levi.
“The bylaw will be universal to anything that the town has authorized/approved to be erected,” he wrote.
Many also think this bylaw shouldn’t be legal.
Who wants to start a class action lawsuit against Hampstead? There’s no way this bylaw should be legal.
— Danny (@zubid00) November 5, 2023
Israel is a foreign country. What business does a municipality have to donate directly to a foreign power? And $1000 seems excessive. Will this survive a court challenge?
— Z (@zchatila) November 3, 2023
What do you think about this proposed bylaw? Let us know in the comments.
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