Israeli flag installed outside town hall in Hampstead, Que. stirs local debate

Outside the Hampstead Town Hall, the addition of the flag of Israel is raising concerns among some residents.

The Israeli flag has flown outside Hampstead’s town hall since October 2023 — and it’s getting mixed reactions from residents of the Montreal suburb.

Among them is 25-year-old Adam Ben David, who says the flag doesn’t belong on the municipal property.

“I think it’s inflammatory to have a foreign flag that is not representative of every single person in this community, which is very diverse,” he said in an interview.

The flag replaced Hampstead’s municipal banner, taking its place alongside the Canadian and Quebec flags.

Mayor Jeremy Levi told CTV News the move was suggested by the town’s then–director general and supported by council.

“Every other government across the world had done so,” Levi said. “We never told the DG how to do it or to remove the Hampstead flag. If Hampstead residents feel so patriotic towards the Hampstead flag, we can always install a fourth flagpole — I just don’t think it’s a great use of resources.”

Residents split on the issue

For some residents, the flag is a symbol of solidarity, but for others it’s an inappropriate political statement for municipal grounds.

CTV News approached several people outside town hall and in a nearby park, but the vast majority declined to speak publicly. Among those who did, opinions were divided.

One woman, who asked not to be identified, said she supports keeping the flag. She described it as a sign of support, acknowledging how many communities in the Middle East are going through tragic times.

“I see nothing wrong in putting it up because it’s reflecting that there’s something terrible going on in Israel and we’re all in mourning for that situation, collectively,” she said.

Sisters Keren and Bénédicte Paka, who have lived in Hampstead for two years, saw it differently.

“It’s problematic because there are many international students here, international workers, Quebecers and other people — I don’t think it has its place here,” said Keren.

Bénédicte added: “I think to make everyone feel comfortable, the flag should be taken down — so that each person feels free and not oppressed by one community or another.”

While there’s division, Levi has been clear that he will not remove the flag.

“It doesn’t matter to me if there’s two signatures or 2,000 signatures,” he wrote in a statement to CTV News. “My position will not change.”

He also said he has never received a formal complaint from residents about it and, on the contrary, has received “many compliments.”

Petition for flag removal

Ben David began knocking on doors this summer to build support for removing the flag. He has gathered roughly 40 signatures so far and said he plans to continue canvassing as the weather cools.

“The Israeli flag represents a whole host of things: politically, religiously, ethnically,” Ben David said. “In my opinion, it’s unfair for the mayor to hoist it on behalf of 7,000 people — because a flag can incite all sorts of things: happiness and joy, but also fear and despair.”

Ben David told CTV News that some residents who agreed with him refused to sign publicly. “They’re afraid of either being chastised by the mayor or other people in our community,” he said, emphasizing that “it’s an incredibly difficult time to be Jewish.”

He also questioned why the flag needed to remain permanently. “I don’t understand why it has to be permanent considering that we are a diverse plurality here,” he said.

For his part, Levi rejected the allegation that residents feared harassment.

“I have never harassed or shamed a private resident and would never do so,” Levi wrote, adding that he believed the petition was politically motivated ahead of municipal elections in less than three months.

He said residents who want the flag removed should take it up with council, which holds the vote. He insisted he will “never back down from supporting Israel and the Jewish community,” adding: “If residents are unhappy with that position, November 2, 2025, is their chance to make a change.”

It’s a position Levi also made clear in a post on X in late July, in which he wrote: “I will never take down the Israeli flag, if that’s a problem for you, vote me out next election.”

Despite him standing firm on the decision, others, like Ben David, say they intend to push forward with their demand for the flag to come down. Ben David said he intends to bring the matter to town council next week.

With the latest census data showing about 40 per cent of Hampstead residents are not Jewish, the flag remains a lightning rod in the small, predominantly Jewish suburb.