Like other social-democratic parties, Canada’s NDP is giving way on pressure to support Israel, which is why we need to take to the streets to defend Palestine, argues John Clarke 

It may be sickening that Keir Starmer came out in full support of Israel as its horrific attack on Gaza escalated, but it is hardly surprising. With only meaningless qualifications about not harming civilians and establishing humanitarian corridors, Starmer offered robust support for Israel’s brutality and stated that, ‘I think Israel has the right to defend herself in the face of appalling and shocking terrorism.’ 

As shameful as Starmer’s conduct has been, however, it would be a mistake to think that Labour under his leadership is out of line with social-democratic parties in other countries. In this regard, the New Democratic Party (NDP) in Canada is very much a case in point. 

The NDP’s response to the horrors unfolding in Palestine and its wider approach to the Palestinian struggle are hardly shining examples of working-class internationalism. The federal NDP, under its present leader Jagmeet Singh, has adopted a thirteen point ‘plan for justice’ on Palestine that, while it may have irritated pro-Israel forces, really doesn’t go beyond a perspective that would be acceptable to liberal Zionism. The colonial oppression of the Palestinians, and the responses that this calls for, are certainly not in the picture for the NDP policy makers. 

The recent NDP federal conference in Hamilton, Ontario had before it an emergency resolution that would have the party ‘call for Canada to condemn “Hamas terrorist attacks,” call for an end to Israel’s “total siege of Gaza which is prohibited under International Law” and demand a ceasefire.’ However, Palestinian solidarity activists felt it vital to ‘condemn the treatment of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, the occupation of the West Bank, as well as declare Israel an apartheid state.’ They staged a protest as Singh was speaking that was actually suppressed by police. 

The party leadership’s efforts to acknowledge Palestinian grievances, as limited as they have been, are undermined by a great readiness to appease those who work to stifle voices of Palestine solidarity. On 16 October, Singh disgracefully attended and spoke at a two-day conference that had been organised by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA). The event was ‘framed as fighting antisemitism’ but it actually featured ‘a slew of leading anti-Palestinian speakers’. 

One of these speakers was ‘Arsen Ostrovsky who recently tweeted an image of an Israeli military boot crushing a Palestinian bug.’ Bruce Katz of Palestinian and Jewish Unity, though his words went unheeded, stated that ‘Jagmeet Singh must withdraw from the apartheid lobby’s conference. Amidst the horrors in Gaza, it’s abhorrent the NDP leader would speak alongside individuals advocating policies tantamount to crimes against humanity.’ 

Caving under pressure 

Those in the UK who witnessed the smear campaign against Jeremy Corbyn and the weaponisation of antisemitism that this involved will be very familiar with the kind of treatment that an NDP member of the Ontario Legislature, Sarah Jama, recently received when she issued a heartfelt statement on the horrible violence being inflicted on Palestinians. Jama posted a message on Twitter in which she, without mentioning the actions of Hamas, ‘voiced support for the people of Gaza’. She called for a ceasefire and an ‘end to all occupation of Palestinian land’ and argued that ‘violence and retaliation rooted in settler colonialism have taken the lives of far too many innocent people.’ 

Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles wasn’t prepared to tolerate any such expression of support for the Palestinians. She made clear that Jama’s views ‘didn’t align with the party’s position’ and considerable pressure was applied for the statement to be withdrawn. In the face of this, Jama did issue an apology although, to her credit, she didn’t remove her statement from Twitter. 

As is standard in these situations, pro-Israel forces have used this partial retreat as an opportunity to redouble their attacks. The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre claimed that Jama ‘willfully ignored the brutality waged against Israeli civilians by Hamas terrorists’ and declared that her apology was ‘too little, much too late’. 

The Conservative provincial government of Doug Ford has now tabled a motion in the Ontario Legislature that would ‘ban Jama from speaking in the chamber until she retracts and deletes her statement and apologises “in her place in the House”.’ The Tory motion also brazenly declared that Jama has made ‘antisemitic and discriminatory statements’ and that she has defended ‘Hamas terrorists’. 

Rather than confront these outrageous falsehoods, Stiles has sought to weather the storm by accepting Jama’s apology and pathetically appealing for those on the attack to ‘show some empathy’ because ‘Ms. Jama does have family in Palestine’. To the NDP parliamentarians, of course, the idea of defending Jama’s statement and showing solidarity with the Palestinians at this dreadful time would be completely unthinkable. 

Commendably, Jama herself has now taken legal action against the Tory leader over the slanders has hurled at her. After Ford accused her of ‘publicly supporting the rape and murder of innocent Jewish people’, she ‘has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Premier Doug Ford over what she is calling “defamatory” remarks that accuse her of having a history of antisemitism.’ Ford has been given seven days to retract the posts making this claim and publicly apologise for them.  

Perhaps the most shameful display of all by a leading NDP politician was put on by the recently elected Mayor of Toronto, Olivia Chow. When the Palestinian Youth Movement called a rally in solidarity with those under attack in Gaza, the Mayor issued the following statement: 

‘The Government of Canada has rightly listed Hamas as a terrorist organization and we simply must not tolerate and support of terror, full stop. 

‘The rally to support Hamas at Nathan Phillips Square today is unsanctioned, without a permit and I unequivocally denounce it. Glorifying this weekend’s indiscriminate violence, including murder and kidnapping of women and children, by Hamas against Israeli civilians is deplorable. 

‘I am receiving updates from the Chief of Police, who assures me they will investigate and address any suspected incidents of hate.’ 

Even in the present political climate, Chow’s statement was a step too far for an NDP politician. Her assumptions about the political perspectives of a broad Palestine solidarity event were challenged vigorously. It was pointed out that rallies at Toronto City Hall didn’t need to obtain permits and her ugly threats of police intervention sparked outrage. 

For its part, the Palestinian Youth Movement responded with a statement of its own, which included the observation that the ‘wielding of terrorism accusations in effort to shut down and censor pro-Palestine rallies is an act of anti-Palestinian racism, and strikes at the bedrock foundations of freedom of speech and freedom of assembly, meant to silence anyone struggling for Palestinian liberation.’ 

In the face of this push back, Chow has implausibly suggested that some confusion led to the drafting of the statement and has weakly acknowledged that the spiteful attack ‘was a mistake on my part.’ Yet, she strikingly personifies the utter refusal of most leading NDP politicians to show solidarity with the Palestinians and, even worse, a readiness to take the side of the colonising power that oppresses them. 

Support for Zionism 

The recent examples I have given of NDP politicians seeking to distance themselves from the Palestinian struggle may well be partly motivated by a desire to appease Israel’s supporters. However, it would be a mistake to think that the problem is simply one of cold feet on their part. 

Social-democratic parties, in a range of countries, have a long history of supporting the Zionist project and the dispossession of the Palestinians. ‘The social democratic movement was an important source of political support for the setting up of a Jewish state in Palestine … social democratic parties and their collective organizations established a tradition of pro-Zionism.’ In that sense, the problem isn’t so much a lack of political principles but of a longstanding commitment to some very bad principles. 

Certainly, it is of great importance that voices of Palestinian solidarity are raised inside social-democratic parties and that a major portion of their memberships are utterly opposed to Israel’s colonial project. 

At the same time, however, ‘what is standing between Gaza and genocide, then, is political pressure – an internationalist movement whose aim is to force Western governments to backtrack and restrain the Israeli killing machine.’ The harsh reality is that such a vital and desperately needed struggle will have to take to the streets over the objections of the NDP leaders and their international counterparts.