Dear Vancouver Municipal Candidates
Keep Vancouver focused on Vancouver
Say NO to Bringing International Political Conflicts Into Vancouver City Hall

To Vancouver’s Mayor, City Council, municipal candidates and residents:

Vancouver is home to people from many backgrounds, religions and nationalities. What happens overseas can affect our families and communities deeply.

But Vancouver City Hall has a clear responsibility: serve Vancouver.

We are asking Vancouver municipal candidates and elected officials to reject attempts to turn our municipal elections into a political referendum on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Vancouver already faces enormous challenges: housing affordability, homelessness, public safety, the cost of living, transportation, infrastructure, struggling businesses and essential community services.

These are the issues our municipal government was elected to address.

We call upon Vancouver’s municipal leaders and candidates to:

KEEP CITY HALL FOCUSED ON VANCOUVER.
Prioritize housing, affordability, public safety, transportation, infrastructure, businesses and essential city services.

REJECT INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL LITMUS TESTS.
Vancouver voters should judge municipal candidates by what they will do for Vancouver—not whether they subscribe to a prescribed position concerning a foreign conflict.

PROTECT VANCOUVER’S JEWISH COMMUNITY AND ALL COMMUNITIES FROM HATE.
Antisemitism, and any discrimination have no place in Vancouver.

REFUSE TO IMPORT DIVISION INTO CITY HALL.
International conflicts should not be allowed to divide neighbours or determine who is considered acceptable to participate in Vancouver civic life.

CHOOSE DIALOGUE AND COMMUNITY.
Our elected officials should work to bring Vancouverites together, particularly when events elsewhere threaten to divide us.

Our message is simple:

Vancouver City Hall should work for Vancouver.

You can care deeply about international events while recognizing that municipal government has a specific responsibility to the people it was elected to serve.

If you agree, SIGN THIS PETITION and SHARE IT.

KEEP VANCOUVER FOCUSED ON VANCOUVER.

Reject hate. Reject division. Protect every community.