Anthony Housefather ‘reflecting’ on future with Liberals after Middle East motion

Quebec Liberal MP Anthony Housefather said he is “reflecting” on his future in the Liberal party after a heavily amended NDP motion on Palestinian statehood passed in the House of Commons on Monday.

Housefather was among three Liberals who voted against the final motion, which called only for progress towards a two-state solution instead of the recognition of a Palestinian state.

The other two, former public-safety minister Marco Mendicino and Manitoba MP Ben Carr, both say they are disappointed in how the 11th-hour amendment process went.

Neither of them is considering a change in their political alliance.

But Housefather says when his fellow Liberals gave a standing ovation to the NDP over the motion, for the first time in his life he isn’t certain he wants to stay in the caucus.

Housefather says while the final version was better, Liberals should simply have voted down the original motion, which he says failed to reflect the existential threat facing Israel and Jews around the world.