Hamilton MPP Sarah Jama removes name from open letter questioning alleged Hamas sexual violence

Hamilton Centre MPP Sarah Jama says she has removed her name from an open letter that voiced support for the people of Gaza and questioned the validity of sexual assault claims against Hamas.

The Independent MPP added her name to the open letter last week after the reopening of her constituency office, where someone presented Jama with a physical copy of the letter. 

In an email to CBC Hamilton, Jama's office confirmed she removed her name Monday afternoon.

The letter called for:

Jama's office said she signed the letter to support the calls listed above.

"Sarah has signed onto many petitions in good faith calling for a ceasefire, including a federal petition sponsored by the NDP that has received hundreds of thousands of signatures across the country," her office wrote.

The letter also said sexual assault claims against Hamas were "unverified," and called on members of parliament to resign.

Jama's team didn't say why she removed her name, but said she stands against all forms of violence and sexual assault.

The director of University of Alberta's sexual assault centre was replaced after endorsing the letter.

On social media platform X, formerly called Twitter, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs thanked the University of Alberta for its "decisive action" and asked: "Shouldn't a sexual assault centre believe all victims, including the Jewish ones?"

Israeli authorities have said they're investigating several reported cases of sexual assault and rape during Hamas's Oct. 7 attack.

Last week, Israel's national police chief showed a small group of international reporters video testimony from an eyewitness at a music festival in southern Israel who described watching another woman being violently sexually assaulted by multiple people before she was shot in the head.

A video also spread on social media last week in which Jama said claims of sexual assault during the Oct. 7 attack had "been disproven publicly," despite claims from the Israeli government.

"The [Israel Defense Forces] themselves have said there's no actual evidence of these rapes and the babies with their heads cut off. All of these are pieces of misinformation," she said in the video, recorded earlier this month.