Concordia Hillel, a Jewish student organization at Concordia University in Montreal, has been sent packing over a leaflet found in the group’s office that offered information on joining the controversial Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).

Early in December the Council of Representatives of the Concordia Student Union (CSU) made a motion to suspend Concordia Hillel. That would mean Hillel cannot have information tables, book university space for events, receive funding or have any other privileges other university clubs might have. This motion was made in response to a flyer distributed by Hillel a week earlier, which provided information on Mahal, a volunteer program with the IDF for non-Israeli Jews interested in defending the Jewish state. The IDF has been linked to some controversial activities in the Middle East. In 1982, under the orders of current Israeli leader Ariel Sharon, the IDF allowed massacres of Palestinian civilians at the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in Lebanon by Christian militants (the area was under Israeli control at the time).

Some saw the pamphlet as a way for Hillel to enlist people into a foreign military.

“This does not constitute recruitment or else Hillel would be in violation of the Canadian Foreign Enlistment Act,” said Hillel attorney Michael Bergman.

The motion to suspend Hillel was passed by an 8-1 majority of councillors, and was brought to the floor as an emergency motion. The chair ruled the motion was out of order, but council overturned the decision, leaving Hillel without a chance to investigate the issue.

“The councillor who moved the resolution obviously put a significant amount of time into it and easily could have submitted the motion earlier and given us a chance to investigate the issue properly. He decided specifically not to do so and council supported these ambush tactics,” said Hillel president Noah Joseph.

Hillel has been involved in a lawsuit against CSU over the ban placed against them. They are seeking $100,000 in damages.

“CSU has illegally banned Hillel, and they are in direct violation of their own by-laws. CSU needs to take in consideration civil liberties and respect the laws that they have made,” said Bergman.

Joseph claims the CSU had an ulterior motive for the banning. “CSU has always been after us, because we are the only other political opposition on campus, and they want to use any opportunity they can to run against us,” he said.

Representatives of the CSU did not return phone calls before press time.