Over the weekend the genocide lobby and Conservative Party began a major attack against a leaflet released by the NDP candidate in the Montreal by election stating, “I vote Craig Sauvé to stop the genocide in Gaza”. The NDP’s immediate reaction has been positive though tentative. To differentiate themselves from the Liberals (and Bloc Québécois) the NDP needs to embrace Sauvé’s message and denounce the genocidal, anti-Palestinian, backlash.

Independent of any party, anti-genocide activists have been postering, rallying and leafleting the riding calling on voters to punish the Liberals for supporting Israel’s barbarity. When 52 Liberal staffers released a letter two weeks ago refusing to assist their own party’s campaign in the riding due to its role in enabling Israel’s genocide, Palestine suffering took on greater profile in the LaSalle-Émard-Verdun by election.

With the NDP caucus meeting in Montréal this week the party has a prime opportunity to further differentiate themselves from the Liberals by clearly standing against Israel’s holocaust in Gaza.