Premier Doug Ford’s message to Progressive Conservative MPPs was clear.
Behind closed doors last week in the second-floor government caucus room at the legislature, Ford implored his colleagues to refrain from weighing in on the Hamas-Israel conflict until after the closely fought May 2 byelection in Milton.
MPPs had been asking the premier why he hadn’t spoken out more forcefully against rising antisemitism in Toronto, Ottawa and other Ontario communities in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks and the subsequent retaliation by the Israeli military in Gaza.
Ford — who takes pride in the fact he’s assembled a diverse Tory caucus that includes people of Muslim, Jewish, Sikh, Hindu, Coptic Christian, Tamil, Jamaican, Iranian, Korean, Chinese, Armenian, Polish, Greek and Italian heritage — stressed he was concerned about upsetting voters in Milton.
PC insiders, speaking confidentially in order to recount internal discussions, said that’s because there is a growing and influential Muslim community in Milton the premier didn’t want to offend.
One of Ford’s top strategists then brusquely told caucus that if they “want to talk about Israel” and antisemitism, then they could run federally for Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives.
Some Tories bristled at those signals on April 16, arguing that speaking out against any form of discrimination should appeal to all voters, regardless of their faith.
The contentious debate among PC MPPs might well have remained under wraps if Speaker Ted Arnott, who oversees the legislature, had not prohibited Palestinian kaffiyehs from the legislative precinct after complaints the black and white scarves break the long-standing rules against “overtly political” symbols in the legislature.
Ninety minutes after the Star revealed the news about the kaffiyeh ban on April 17, Ford issued a surprise 9 p.m. statement denouncing Arnott’s move.
“The decision to ban the kaffiyeh was made by the Speaker and the Speaker alone. I do not support his decision as it needlessly divides the people of our province. I call on the Speaker to reverse his decision immediately.”
Zee Hamid, the PC candidate in Milton, praised the premier’s intervention, saying Ford “did the right thing,” while Galen Naidoo Harris, the Liberal candidate, donned a kaffiyeh in solidarity with the people of Gaza.
NDP Leader Marit Stiles, Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie and Green Leader Mike Schreiner also opposed Arnott’s edict and urged him to reconsider.
But Stiles twice sought and failed to get unanimous consent motions passed to allow kaffiyeh in the legislature after some Tory MPPs defied Ford, who was not in the chamber for the two votes.
Some Jewish Tories, mindful that clothing or buttons proclaiming support for Israel are also forbidden in the legislature, privately reached out to the premier to express their displeasure at making an exception for kaffiyehs.
“The rules are the rules (in the legislative assembly). He didn’t need to pick sides. Stay out of it,” counselled one Tory, pointing to the divisions within Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s federal Liberal caucus over the Middle East as a cautionary tale.
Chastened, the premier again gathered with his caucus last Tuesday in a raucous three-hour session that some members described as cathartic while others said tensions were running high.
“It’s a very sensitive topic for certain people. But I can tell you, we had a great conversation in there. We’re united as a team, no matter if we agree or disagree on certain items,” a subdued and visibly drained Ford told reporters as he slowly walked back to his office afterward.
“But we’re a very strong team and I’m happy we had a great conversation with the other members … and they all got to speak freely. Maybe I’m a little different than other premiers. I let people speak freely and I don’t punish them for speaking freely,” he said.
“The best thing that happened — any big family like we have — is everyone sits down, everyone gets to voice their opinion and everyone left feeling a thousand times better.”
Still, some Tories — and not just the six MPPs who voiced their opposition to overruling Arnott’s kaffiyeh decree — are privately worried their previously cohesive caucus has been divided by a Middle East conflict that has already riven university campuses, business offices and newsrooms, among many other places.
One upset PC MPP told colleagues it was “racist” not to oppose the ban on the scarves that have become commonplace at protests around the world since Oct. 7, emphasizing they are an important “cultural” symbol.
While only the Tory caucus is publicly split over the issue, MPPs from other parties are mindful of the strong feelings invoked by Arnott’s edict.
Liberal house leader John Fraser, whose Ottawa South riding is home to many of Lebanese and Syrian descent, said he’s received 3,000 emails on the kaffiyeh.
“We got unanimous consent by all the (party) leaders and we couldn’t get it in there,” said Fraser, motioning toward the legislative chamber.
“And people are wondering why. It has a deep cultural history in Arab culture and some people are discouraged, disappointed and … hurt.”
Nor is the controversy going away — Independent MPP Sarah Jama (Hamilton Centre), who was sanctioned but not ejected for defying the kaffiyeh rule Thursday, vowed to continue to sport her scarf in the legislature, saying “my job is to be political, and so I will continue to wear this garment.”
Jama was turfed from the New Democratic caucus last October for insubordination after twice being forced to apologize to the Jewish community for comments about Israel.
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