As the genocide in Gaza has become clear for all to see, anger against governments in the West has intensified. In the United States, millions now refer to President Joe Biden as “Genocide Joe.” While many think that Canada is more progressive than the U.S., Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s hands are also drenched in Palestinian blood. 

As the genocide in Gaza has become clear for all to see, anger against governments in the West has intensified. In the United States, millions now refer to President Joe Biden as “Genocide Joe.” While many think that Canada is more progressive than the U.S., Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s hands are also drenched in Palestinian blood. 

Trudeau supports Palestinian genocide

Following the Oct. 7 attacks, Trudeau joined the hypocritical chorus in support of “Israel’s right to defence.” These words of encouragement were uttered as the Israeli state was preparing a genocidal military campaign against the Palestinians. This was no secret. Multiple Israeli ministers talked about this openly. 

Once Israel’s crimes against Gaza became undeniable, Trudeau criticized Israel for the “killing of women and children, of babies.” Yet a week before making such statements, Canada was one of only seven countries to vote against a UN resolution condemning Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. Meanwhile, ever-consistent with his crocodile tears approach, Trudeau continues paying lip service to the dead even as his government authorizes $28.5 million in military exports to Israel, a record high.

This hypocritical stance is nothing new. Canada’s Liberals and Justin Trudeau in particular have refined hypocrisy into a science. Saying one thing and doing another is a matter of course for them. This was pushed to ridiculous heights when Trudeau got carried away with his opportunistic pandering and almost accidentally called for a ceasefire—a position opposed by Western imperialism and his own government.

The NDP betrays Palestine

But Trudeau has not carried out this duplicitous policy without allies. In fact, the Liberals are in a minority government, and only maintain their grasp on power through an agreement with the NDP. Immediately following the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and his party behaved like good coalition partners, toeing the government line, defending Israel’s right to so-called self-defence. They also combined this with suppression of pro-Palestinian activists inside the party and slander of demonstrations outside of it. 

Eventually, the NDP and labour leaders broke from Trudeau’s line and began calling for a ceasefire. Major trade union confederations initiated the Ceasefire Now coalition on Oct. 21, the purpose of which is to pressure the Liberal government to call for a ceasefire. 

However, the situation could not be more absurd. The Liberal government is aiding Israeli imperialism politically, economically, and militarily. But the Liberals are only in power due to the support of the NDP and the labour leaders. Therefore, the NDP bears some responsibility for the Liberal policies aiding the genocide in Gaza.

The entire purpose of the NDP’s coalition is apparently to wrest concessions from the Trudeau Liberals. So far, however, Jagmeet Singh has only been able to pry from the Liberals a so-called “dental care” plan, which applies to almost no one, and more recently a “pharmacare plan” which only includes birth control and diabetes medication.

But is birth control worth genocide? 

Bolshevism: The unity of word and deed

If the NDP and the labour unions really wanted to act to oppose the slaughter of Palestinians, they would simply retract their support for Genocide Justin and bring down the Liberal government. Liberal and reformist leaders in Canada express moral outrage at oppression, make all sorts of impressive declarations in the name of justice, but—when push comes to shove—they conciliate, back down in cowardice, and in essence end up perpetuating the same horrors they denounce. 

We must put an end to the hypocritical practice of uttering words that are not followed by actual deeds. Victor Serge famously said, “Bolshevism is the unity of word and deed.” Communists do not simply speak against the oppression of the Palestinians; we act to end it. 

The best way that we can aid the Palestinians is by fighting against our own imperialist government, not by propping it up. This is why communists are fighting for an intifada, not just in Palestine and the Middle East, but here, in an imperialist country in the west. The labour movement, which on paper opposes the genocide in Gaza and calls for a ceasefire, has the power not only to bring down the Liberal government, but to end all arms shipments to Israel, thus concretely weakening the assault on Gaza. 

While Canada is only a second-rate imperialist power, a victory against Canadian imperialism would set a positive example for the movement around the world, showing the way forward in the fight against genocide, imperialism, and all of the horrors of capitalism. 

Bring down Genocide Justin!