Municipal elections are approaching, and with them comes the parade of promises and grand speeches designed to dazzle an electorate too often treated as gullible.

It is no coincidence that, in the middle of the campaign, the leader of Projet Montréal, Luc Rabouin, took to social media to call for an arms embargo against Israel. This statement appears to target an electorate increasingly aware of the genocide in Gaza.

However, winning votes through mere symbolic gestures will not be so easy. Political memory runs deep: during its term, Projet Montréal ignored—or even marginalized—the city’s pro-Palestinian movements, while maintaining cozy relationships with local Zionist lobbies. Believing that a consequence-free declaration will now be enough to convince anyone seems hardly credible.

The core issue is clear: a candidate who truly wishes to stand for justice and show coherence in the face of the Palestinian genocide has concrete political tools available at the municipal level. It’s not just about publishing statements but about implementing tangible changes.

There are precedents. Cities such as Liège (Belgium), Oslo (Norway), Barcelona (Spain), and Oxford (United Kingdom) have declared themselves Apartheid-Free Cities. This model, inspired by historic movements like Nuclear-Free Cities and Anti-Apartheid Zones during the struggle against South African apartheid, is both simple and powerful: municipalities publicly take a stand against apartheid and Israeli occupation, and back that position with concrete measures.

What does it mean in practice for a city to be Apartheid-Free? Among other things:
• Refusing to sign contracts, agreements, or make purchases from Israeli companies or institutions complicit in apartheid or the settlements.
• Excluding teams, troupes, or events sponsored by the State of Israel from sports competitions and cultural venues.
• Banning municipal public spaces from hosting advertising or sponsorships from companies involved in violating Palestinian rights.
• Suspending sister-city relationships with Israeli municipalities as long as the apartheid regime persists.
• Using its institutional voice to call on national governments to adopt arms embargoes and sanctions.

That is what distinguishes words from action. If Luc Rabouin wants to demonstrate a genuine commitment to Palestine, multiplying election-season soundbites for headlines won’t suffice. The real challenge is to prove that Montréal can join a global movement for justice—and turn its back on the politics of symbolic gestures.