Bochra Manai, former commissioner for the fight against racism and systemic discrimination at the City of Montreal, has filed a lawsuit against the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) in Quebec Superior Court in Montreal, alleging defamation and a coordinated campaign to have her dismissed, according to reports by the Montreal Gazette and CBC Canada.
Montreal's former anti-racism commissioner sues CIJA for alleged defamation
Bochra Manai, former commissioner for the fight against racism and systemic discrimination at the City of Montreal, has filed a lawsuit against the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) in Quebec Superior Court in Montreal, alleging defamation and a coordinated campaign to have her dismissed, according to reports by the Montreal Gazette and CBC Canada.
The lawsuit, which seeks $100,000 in moral damages and $25,000 in punitive damages for a total of $125,000, centers in part on a visual montage that Manai alleges CIJA used to compare her to Adolf Hitler. The montage is not currently searchable online but is included in the lawsuit filing.
Manai was appointed city commissioner for the fight against racism and systemic discrimination in 2021. Her relationship with CIJA deteriorated after October 7, 2023, according to the source. A specific flashpoint came on October 28, 2023, when she attended a pro-Palestine, pro-ceasefire rally in Montreal at which Imam Adil Charkaoui delivered a speech that included the words: 'Allah, take care of these Zionist aggressors. Allah, take care of the enemies of the people of Gaza. Allah, count them all, then exterminate them. And don't spare any of them.' Canadian police investigated the incident as a hate crime.
Manai wrote in an op-ed in Le Devoir that attending the rally was her 'duty to humanity.' She did not publicly condemn the imam's remarks but did condemn antisemitic and Islamophobic acts committed in the weeks after October 7, writing: 'Shooting Jewish schools and children is a crime that must be punished and has no place in a metropolis like Montreal. Targeting Muslim places of worship is just as important.'
In November 2023, CIJA called for Manai to resign. In December 2023, CIJA and Federation CJA jointly called on then-Mayor Valerie Plante to replace Manai, citing her attendance at several rallies while remaining silent about antisemitism. Manai's lawsuit specifically cites a phrase from that CIJA publication — that she is 'complicit by refusing to speak out against hate' — as 'a serious accusation capable of significantly damaging her reputation.'
CIJA again objected in February 2025 when Plante promoted Manai from commissioner to director of the Office of Commissioners of the City of Montreal. Manai currently holds that position. CIJA declined to comment when contacted, stating that the investigation is ongoing.
- The source does not state the date on which Manai filed the lawsuit.
- The source does not describe the full contents or context of the alleged Hitler montage beyond its inclusion in the lawsuit.
- The source does not state the position of then-Mayor Valerie Plante or current city officials regarding the lawsuit.
- The source does not state whether Federation CJA, which joined CIJA's December 2023 call, is named in the lawsuit.
- The source does not state the current status of the Quebec Superior Court proceedings, including whether a hearing date has been set.
- The source does not state CIJA's substantive legal response to the defamation claims, only that it declined to comment citing an ongoing investigation.
Read the original at The Jerusalem Post