Ontario’s premier is calling on the speaker of the house to overturn a ban on keffiyehs in the legislature at Queen’s Park.

Ninty minutes after news of the ban was announced Wednesday, Doug Ford issued a statement urging Ted Arnott to reconsider his stance.

Since the deadly October 7th attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists and the subsequent retaliation in Gaza by the Israel Defense Forces the traditional black and white kaffiyehs have become a common sight at pro-Palestinian rallies in Toronto and in cities around the world.

Arnott has prohibited Palestinian kaffiyehs from being worn by anyone – MPPs or guests – in the Ontario legislature over concerns the scarves make an over political statement.

But the premier’s statement says the decision to ban the kaffiyeh was made by the speaker and the speaker alone and he does not support it “because it needlessly divides the people of our province.”

NDP Leader Marit Stiles and Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie have released statements saying much the same as the premier.