Recently, mayoral candidate Jeff Leiper was hosted by the Jewish Federation of Ottawa to discuss his platform, what his priorities as mayor would be, and how he would work with Ottawa’s Jewish community if elected.

Meeting with Federation’s Director of Advocacy and Government Relations David Sachs, Chair of the Board of Directors Danya Vered, Board member and chair of the Communication and Community Relations Committee (CCRC) Elissa Lieff, CCRC member Maddy Eisenberg, and Ottawa Jewish E-Bulletin writer Ethan Rode, Leiper answered questions about Jewish community safety, combatting antisemitism, and Israel and Zionism.

“I have been a city councillor for 12 years, and I have been frustrated at the direction the city is going in,” Leiper explained. “My platform … is a very simple one focused on four key areas.”

Leiper, who has represented Kitchissippi Ward for the last 12 years, said his platform priorities are transit, housing, infrastructure, and government transparency.

Regarding issues that concern Ottawa’s Jewish community, security has been the number one issue as antisemitism continues to rise in the city and across the country.

When asked about what the city under his leadership would do to push back against antisemitism and violent forms of antizionism, Leiper explained that he would work with Federation and other local Jewish organizations to learn how policing can best be utilized in and around Jewish spaces. He also said that the city would find ways to help carry the burden of the cost of security.

“I want the Jewish community to be celebrated in the way that other communities in Ottawa are,” he said. “In order for us to do that, we need to take a look at security costs and how the city can best support the Jewish community to ensure that you are safe.”

Furthermore, he said that he would be in frequent contact both with the provincial and the federal governments to ensure that those levels of government are updated about the community’s needs.

In conversation with other communities, Leiper noted that while Ottawa’s community safety and well-being plan names the various forms of hate present in our city, including antisemitism, it doesn’t explain in-depth the impact that hatred has on the communities it affects. The plan names the problem but doesn’t speak to how to address it or examples of how it has impacted people in the city.

“I would look forward to reopening that document in order to better describe the harms,” he said. “If you don’t describe what is actually happening, then it is really difficult to create the political will to address it.”

Leiper also said that he will sit on the Police Services Board, and that while he would not be able to tell the police how to do their jobs per se, he would have the platform to hold the Ottawa Police Service accountable for enforcing laws and investigating hate crimes.

He was then asked about the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, which includes how certain language revolving around the State of Israel can be antisemitic if one is holding the State to a higher standard than other countries or by holding all Jews accountable for the actions of the Israeli government.

“I have a lay understanding of what the IHRA definition speaks to and questioning the right of Israel to exist is described as a form of antisemitism … I agree with that,” he said. “It is incumbent upon the city to [adopt the definition].” 

Leiper supports the Safe Access By-law, also known as the “bubble by-law,” which protects vulnerable community infrastructure such as schools, houses of worship, and long-term care centres.

“I supported the bubble by-law,” he said. “It is easy for our bylaw officers to enforce, so I was pleased with it when it passed.” 

He also committed to attending Jewish community events such as marking October 7 and Holocaust remembrance and said he would continue the current policy surrounding flag raisings at City Hall hosted by diplomatic missions.

When asked about whether or not the city under his leadership would oppose efforts to bring international political campaigns into municipal politics, such as the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, he said that his priorities will lie with the city he is governing.

“I’m running to be the Mayor of Ottawa,” Leiper said. “These discussions are beyond what the mayor should be involved with. I’m not an expert in foreign affairs.”       

Leiper said his goal is for all Ottawans to feel safe as they are, and that as mayor, he would ensure that movements that demonize Jews or Israelis would not encroach on city affairs.

Lastly, he was asked about the increasing need for social services such as food banks, street outreach, long-term care, and other needs and how he would handle that if elected.

“We need to invest more in supporting food banks as food insecurity continues to rise,” he said. “Recent talks about a 50% increase in funding for food banks only translates to around $468,000 more, which is insufficient to counter rising grocery bills.”

To learn more about Jeff Leiper and his campaign, click here.