In late November, NDP MPP Joel Harden came under attack in the media for supposed antisemitism. The allegations center around Joel Harden’s support for the rights of Palestinians, and conflate criticism of the Israeli state with criticisms of all Jewish people.
Unfortunately, Joel Harden has since buckled under the pressure and apologized for something he did not do. This marks a worrying trend in the NDP and in the left in general where antisemitism allegations are weaponized and used against activists and socialist leaders.
The comment in question comes from an interview with Joel Harden in 2021. When asked how he deals with pushback for his pro-Palestine views from Jewish-Canadians in his riding, Harden explained that he will often engage in conversations with Jewish people on this topic, just like he discusses the topic of antisemitism with those same constituents.
“It is your obligation [as a public figure] to have those difficult conversations that start with where someone is at, and asking questions. I have asked many questions of my Jewish neighbours here about how much longer we should put up with this. If I were to name…the single greatest origin of violence in the Middle East, it is unquestioningly the state of Israel and the way in which they feel absolutely no shame violating international law,” Harden stated. He followed this up by stating that antisemitism should also be fought. He explained that when he attends Palestinian solidarity rallies, he pulls those aside that are making antisemitic remarks to correct them.
This detail is noticeably absent from those attacking Harden. Notably, the Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) tweeted on Nov. 19 that the statements by Harden can “only be called antisemitism” and that he was “spreading misinformation about Israel”. This was followed quickly by a Toronto Sun hit piece which smeared Harden as attempting to “provoke Jewish people ” into arguments, mischaracterizing his entire statement. This was swiftly followed by calls for his resignation.
In contrast to the hit pieces, there have been some in the Jewish community who have come out in defense of Harden. Independent Jewish Voices, a grassroots Jewish organization in Canada, has stated, “Joel Harden has a clear record on fighting antisemitism throughout his political career. He is also proudly a strong defender of Palestinian human rights. These two facts are not mutually exclusive.”
We completely agree with this. There is nothing at all antisemitic about Harden’s statements. Though one might disagree and place American imperialism as the much greater source of violence in the Middle East, it is undeniable that the Israeli state and the state violence they routinely unleash on the Palestinian people is a huge source of violence in the region. Just this year, the Israeli Defense Force has killed 183 Palestinians, including 35 children. Criticizing such brutality is not antisemitic, and claiming that it is conflates the Jewish people in Israel with the Israeli state which carries out the violence.
No other criticism of any state is subject to the same treatment. Is it anti-Iranian to criticize the Iranian regime, currently killing protestors across Iran? Is it anti-Canadian to criticize the Canadian government’s continued sale of weapons to Saudi Arabia, which aids in the slaughter of thousands in Yemen at the hands of the Saudi Arabian government? This is exactly the argument that right-wing organizations like the CIJA and Toronto Sun are making against Joel Harden. Fighting against the aggression and violence of a state does not mean fighting against the working class people of that nation, who have very little to do with the violent policies of their governments. This line of reasoning is a cynical attack by the right wing, who do not really care about combatting antisemitism—just about weaponizing it.
Identity politics weaponized against the left
Unfortunately, this smear campaign has been taken up by the NDP leadership. Interim ONDP leader Peter Tabuns has been joining in the attacks, going after Joel Harden. He expressed that he was “outraged” when he heard the news and immediately contacted Joel Harden to discipline him. He stated that if Harden did not apologize, further action would be taken.
Although initially Harden came out against the allegations and explained that nothing in his statement blames Jewish people for Israeli war crimes, he very quickly changed his tune. No doubt due to pressure from Peter Tabuns (amongst others), Joel Harden released a statement where he apologized for the comments: “I spoke in a way that perpetrated an antisemitic stereotype towards Jewish neighbours. I regret my choice of words and sincerely apologize to the Jewish community.” This is a complete capitulation to false allegations and gives ammunition to the right wing, painting Harden as guilty of something he did not do.
It is shameful that the NDP leadership is bending to this narrative that has no basis in reality.
This is part of a larger trend that we have seen in both Canadian and international politics, where false antisemitism allegations are weaponized by the right wing at the behest of the capitalist media to discredit and destroy potential socialist leaders. In the NDP, we have the recent example of prominent socialist activist Jessa McLean being smeared in a similar manner.
Most notably, Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn was attacked in a similar way on completely trumped up charges of antisemitism. These allegations were completely cooked up by the right-wing Tory-aligned media, and pushed by right-wing Labour Party MPs who were afraid of Jeremy Corbyn’s popularity and that he represented a serious struggle by the working class against British capitalism. By attacking Corbyn, the right wing hoped they could defeat the movement that was gathering force behind him. This was actually the only way to attack Corbyn, as his ideas for increasing the living standards of working class people were enormously popular and could not be politically defeated.
Instead of fighting these charges and explaining that the historical roots of antisemitism lie with the right wing and the Conservative Party, Jeremy Corbyn capitulated and apologized. This capitulation, far from satisfying the right wing media or the Labour Party establishment, only emboldened them. Other activists and groups began to be purged from the party, starting with the most militant socialist layers.
This highlights an important lesson for the movement: weakness invites aggression. Joel Harden should not have apologized for something he did not do. The reality is that, historically and today, the left has never been the source of antisemitism in Canada. It is the conservatives that have a history of palling around with known fascists and antisemites. This was on full display when Doug Ford, Conservative premier of Ontario, took a number of photos with notorious fascist Faith Goldy. Similarly, former Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been linked to the League of Ukranian Canadians, which is an organization that has known neo-Nazi ties.
This is no accident. Antisemitism, like other forms of racism and oppression, is a traditional tool the right wing uses to divide working class people. In contrast, the left has a long tradition of fighting against antisemitism, such as the famous Battle of Cable Street which drove the nascent fascists out of Britain. That struggle was not led by conservatives, but socialists. It is the duty of the left to combat all forms of oppression and point out their true source in society: the capitalist class and their political representatives. That is the only real way to purge the poison of antisemitism from our communities.
