Montreal real estate event sells property in illegal settlements in the West Bank in Palestinian Territory

A real estate event was held in the Spanish & Portuguese Synagogue in the Côte-des-Neiges neighbourhood of Montreal on March 5, where properties were being sold in Israel and at illegal settlements in occupied Palestine. 

Pro-Palestinian activists hosted a protest outside of this event to protest the selling of properties in Efrat, Ma’ale Adumim and Neve Daniel. These are illegal settlements in the West Bank. The International Criminal Court (ICC) is currently investigating Israel’s illegal settlements as war crimes.

Pro-Palestine activists were met with a counter protest of pro-Israel protesters.

During the protest, activists on the pro-Palestine side received letters of an injunction banning pro-Palestine activists from protesting outside of Jewish institutions in Montreal. The injunction, which began on March 6 lasting 10 days, was extended on March 16.

The day before the protest outside of the Spanish & Portugese Synagogue, a rally was held outside of the Jewish institution Federation CJA. Pro-Palestine Activists protested an event being held inviting Israeli Defence forces soldiers to speak.

The event featured talks by IDF soldiers who were there to tell stories and ”advocate against the delegitimization of Israel” according to promotion of the event. Aby Volcovich, one of the soldiers and panelists at the event, is on record in an Instagram Live clip saying, “These children are terrorists, are a part of terrorist organizations, such as the Islamic Jihad and Hamas and this operation was specifically pinpoint targeted to target individuals who have committed terror attacks, or are planning to commit terror attacks.” Pro-Palestine activists said events supporting the genocide of Palestinian people should not be held in Montreal. These two rallies led to the injunction.

"If this is happening in a Church or if this is happening in a Mosque, we will stand up for it, because it doesn't matter the religious factor here, and it's what they are trying to use this vicinity for is what we're standing against," said Ahmad Jarrar, organizer with Toronto4Palestine. Jarrar attended the protests outside this real estate events hosted in both Toronto and Montreal.

In a comment made by the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) via email, Communications Officer Mélanie Bergeron said the SPVM is monitoring the situation in the Middle East and said they are aware of the impact the situation in Gaza can have on communities here. 

“We are always in surveillance mode when major international issues of this nature are likely to have echos in our territory of jurisdiction,” Bergeron said. 

The Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue did not respond to a request for comment. 

Local 514 reached out to real estate group Kellar Williams, involved in organizing the event. They did not respond to a request for comment.