Canadian politicians on both sides of the political spectrum decried rallies across the country that denounced Israel this weekend. The rallies followed the Oct. 7 deadly attacks on Israeli civilians by the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.
The far left has long stood against Israel, and some demonstrators in Canada displayed the communist symbol of the hammer and sickle. The Communist Party of Canada also came out in force, waving red flags with the party’s circular white symbol.
“The Communist Party stands with the Palestinian people who are dying as a result of Zionist expansionism supported by US, Canadian and European imperialism,” the Ontario branch of the Communist Party of Canada said on platform X on Oct. 9. It said it would not be deterred by criticism from Premier Doug Ford and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow.
Left-wing politicians and labour unions across the world have stood on the side of what some of them term Palestinian “resistance” following the multi-pronged assault by Hamas that left more than 1,000 Israelis dead, according to Israeli sources.
Demonstrators gather in support of the Palestine in Toronto on Oct. 9, 2023. Some (on the right) carry the flag of the Communist Party of Canada. (Andrew Chen/The Epoch Times)
Protesters hold a banner showing the Palestinian flag (L) and an old Serbian flag with the communist five-point star, which reads: ''Down with occupation, Kosovo is Serbia, Palestine is state'' during a rally in support of Palestinians in downtown Belgrade, Serbia, on May 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
Palestinian terrorism has long been intermingled with communism and was fostered by the Soviet and Chinese communist regimes, as detailed in the Epoch Times special editorial series, “How the Spectre of Communism Is Ruling Our World.“
Communist Roots
The term “terrorism” was first recorded in 1795 in reference to the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution, which inspired in many ways the communist idea of revolution.
Terrorism was instrumental to the victory of communists in many places, including Vladimir Lenin’s victories in Russia, as noted by Marxist theorist Karl Kautsky in his 1919 book “Terrorism and Communism.”
Felix Dzerzhinsky, head of Mr. Lenin’s secret police, said in 1918, “We stand for organizing terror—this frankly should be admitted.”
Marxism-Leninism, an influential faction of communism, inspired Sayyid Qutb, who is considered the pioneer of Islamic extremism. Mr. Qutb’s writings contain the vocabulary of Marxism-Leninism, such as “vanguard,” “state,” and “revolution.”
Hamas is an Islamic extremist group. It was aided in the Oct. 7 attacks by another such Gaza-based group called Islamic Jihad.
Communism itself did not easily take hold in the religious Middle East, as the “Spectre of Communism” explains, in large part because communism is fundamentally atheist. However, the theory and methods of modern Islamic extremism are closely linked to Marxism-Leninism.
From the 1960s onward, Palestinian terrorism has had strong support from the Chinese communist regime. Former Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) leader Yasser Arafat, who died in 2004, visited China 14 times, meeting with CCP leaders including Mao Zedong and Jiang Zemin.
PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat (R) is escorted by Chinese President Jiang Zemin (L) as he reviews the honour guard at a welcoming ceremony outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on Sept. 22, 1993. (Manuel Ceneta/AFP via Getty Images)
The CCP offered Mr. Arafat’s forces weapons, money, training, and guidance on strategy.
The Soviets also fostered the PLO, as was recalled by defector Ion Mihai Pacepa, former lieutenant general and acting chief of communist Romania’s foreign intelligence service.
In his article “Russian Footprints,” Mr. Pacepa quoted head of Soviet foreign intelligence Aleksandr Sakharovsky: “In today’s world, when nuclear arms have made military force obsolete, terrorism should become our main weapon.”
Mr. Sakharovsky had a world map in his office, Mr. Pacepa said, covered in red flags, each representing an aircraft hijacking. Mr. Sakharovsky told him that the tactic of hijacking aircraft was his own invention, said Mr. Pacepa. The PLO was responsible for many of the hijackings, according to the “Spectre of Communism.”
Soviet and CCP support for terrorists in the Middle East is part of the radical Left’s agenda to destroy and take over Western society, the “Spectre of Communism” explains.
Western leftist ideology and Islamic extremism share roots of hatred and struggle, the special editorial series says. Marxism singles out “oppressors” and promotes struggle against them as a solution to society’s ills, promising an egalitarian utopia if they are overthrown.
“Standing with terrorists against Western democratic society is part of the radical Left’s long march to destroy and take over Western society from within,” the series says.
Today’s Connection Between Palestine Fighters and the Left
The call for revolution in Palestine today remains connected to left-wing political groups abroad. Such groups often express support for the Palestine cause in terms of fighting against colonization and oppression.
Spain’s far-left party Podemos said on X in Spanish on Oct. 9, “For peace, decolonization and the end of apartheid ... we convey all our solidarity to the Palestinian people.”
Leftist party La France Insoumise in France has received criticism for refusing to call Hamas a terrorist organization.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a group that describes itself as combatting antisemitism, released a report in August on the anti-Zionist trend in left-wing, progressive politics. It noted many such instances of left-wing politicians in Europe speaking against Israel. It said labour unions also often take this stance.
Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) local 3906, representing employees of McMaster University, said on X on Oct. 8, “Palestine is rising, long live the resistance.” The post has since been removed, but screenshots of it have circulated on X.
Fred Hahn, president of CUPE Ontario, has since posted on X in favour of “the power of resistance around the globe.” CUPE Ontario and CUPE local 3906 have not returned requests for comment.
Demonstrators gather to denounce Israel in Toronto on Oct. 9, 2023. Some carry the flag of the Communist Party of Canada. (Andrew Chen/The Epoch Times)
Activism against Israel has had a strong presence on university campuses in Canada. Last year, McGill University and the University of Toronto were among the institutions that took action against student groups promoting the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, which is a campaign to put pressure on Israeli companies and groups accused of violating Palestinian rights.
ADL says “penetration into the political mainstream” of the left’s anti-Israel leanings “is cause for concern.”
“Founded on hatred and struggle, communism is the fundamental cause of terrorism around the world,” the “Spectre of Communism” says. “Until the toxic roots of communism are dug out, humankind will not enjoy a single day of peace.”
While terrorism often targets Western society, the series notes, the vast majority of those whom it has killed are ordinary Muslims living in Islamic countries and people living under communist regimes.
