TRENTON, Canada

A Canadian political party is defending its candidate’s decision to display the Palestinian flag on an election pamphlet, Canadian media reported Monday.  

Craig Sauve, who is running in a local election in Quebec, is pictured standing in front of the Palestinian flag that in no way demeans the Canadian flag, the New Democrat Party (NDP) said. 

“It's ludicrous to suggest that when a politician is seen with another flag it's un-Canadian, whether that's the Ukrainian flag, Israeli flag, Palestinian flag or other nations,” the NDP said in a statement, the Montreal Gazette reported. 

But Jewish and pro-Israeli groups insist the pamphlet is stoking anti-Semitic fires. 

“(It’s) a disgraceful attempt by NDP candidate Craig Sauvé to import a foreign conflict into Quebec and Canada,” the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs tweeted on X. “In a bid for votes, (NDP leader) Jagmeet Singh and the NDP are turning their backs on our values, fuelling antisemitism in the process.” 

The leadup to the by-election in the riding (electoral district) is set for Sept. 16, and it has seen other controversy caused by the Gaza war. 

At the end of August, 52 Arab and Muslim staff working for the Liberal Party sent a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that they would not support the Liberal candidate in the riding by door-to-door or telephone campaigning. 

The workers were upset, charging that the Liberal Party has not “explicitly condemned” Israel for war crimes, has failed to recognize the state of Palestine and has not acknowledged anti-Palestinian racism in Canada.