What to know about Sarah Jama’s censure and ejection from NDP

Here's what you need to know about Ontario MPP Sarah Jama's censure and ejection from the NDP.

Ontario MPP Sarah Jama is facing significant consequences for a statement she made on social media about the Israel-Gaza war.

Within a one-hour span on Monday, she was both censured by the Ford government and ejected from the NDP caucus after refusing to apologize for and delete comments that many called offensive and antisemitic.

Here’s what you need to know about what happened:

What caused this?

Two days after militant group Hamas stormed towns near the Gaza Strip, killing thousands and taking hundreds hostage, the Hamilton-Centre MPP made a statement on X (formerly Twitter) in which she expressed support for the Palestinian people and called for an end to the “occupation of Palestinian land.” The statement omitted any mention of Hamas or the attack that spurred the latest round of violence in the region.

It’s important to note that Hamas is recognized as a terrorist organization by the Canadian government.

After discussions with NDP Leader Marit Stiles, Jama eventually posted an apology on social media about 24 hours later that condemned Hamas. But this wasn’t enough for the Progressive Conservative government, who put forward a motion the next week to censure her for the remarks.