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That may be changing. In recent days, May has been on the defensive regarding two motions proposed by the grassroots of her party. The first calls on the Greens to declare officially its support for the BDS movement, which calls for economic sanctions and pressure against Israel. The second urges the revocation of the charitable status of the Jewish National Fund (JNF), an international philanthropic group with a Canadian chapter. The JNF focuses primarily on environmental stewardship and cultivating forests, which seems an odd thing for the grassroots of the Green party, of all people, to oppose.

To her credit, May says she does not support either motion. She has said so to the media and directly to Israel’s ambassador to Canada. That’s nice. She also says that if the motions receive enough support in an online balloting of party members to make it to the floor of her party’s upcoming convention, she will work to defeat them. Again, that’s nice.

May could soon find herself bound to promote and defend two motions she does not agree with, and has been public about opposing

But the entire affair has got to be embarrassing for May. There’s always room for disagreement in a political party — membership should not require monolithic views. But the Greens are not a typical Canadian party. They only have one elected member, Elizabeth May. Absent the adoption of major electoral reforms (which is being considered, mind you), she is likely to remain the party’s only MP for the foreseeable future. And she could soon find herself bound to promote and defend two motions she does not agree with, and has been public about opposing. This goes well beyond simply supporting grassroots democracy, and would put May in open conflict with her own party. The Greens’ only MP would be on record disagreeing with the party’s position on a defining issue.