Sask NDP's candidates, leader, and a former MLA have consistently refused to support Canada's ally Israel in its conflict with Hamas following the unprovoked terrorist attack against Israel last year. In November, Premier Scott Moe accused the Sask NDP of supporting antisemitism after Saskatoon MLA Jennifer Bowes liked an Instagram post featuring protesters chanting the antisemitic slogan, "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free."Moe said the slogan is "widely regarded as often associated with the ethnic cleansing of Israel."Bowes later apologized, claiming she had endorsed the post's call for a ceasefire without watching the whole video content. The incident has deepened existing tensions over the Sask NDP's handling of the Middle East conflict..Saskatchewan election results involve 12-day counting process.NDP leader Carla Beck attempted to distance her party from the controversial slogan, declaring it "not acceptable" while maintaining support for humanitarian aid to Gaza and calling for a ceasefire.The controversy follows a series of heated exchanges involving Regina Elphinstone-Centre candidate Meara Conway, who was ejected from the legislature last fall after refusing to apologize for statements about pro-Hamas protests.Conway had defended the phrase as a call for "dignity and liberation," leading government house leader Jeremy Harrison to accuse her of "defending antisemitism." A charge Conway dismissed as slander.Conway attended a pro-Hamas protest during the summer and posted photos to her social media.Conway criticized the security measures implemented after pro-Hamas demonstrations, warning of the "erosion of democracy" through restricted public access..WATCH: Sask NDP MLA accused of removing flyers from mailbox.Jewish community leaders have consistently maintained that the slogan represents a call for Israel's destruction, while pro-Hamas advocates argue it promotes human rights and equality.The debate showed deep divisions within Saskatchewan's political landscape.The ongoing crisis has tested Beck's leadership as she attempts to navigate between competing community interests and pro-Hamas activists in the Sask NDP. The Sask NDP has held meetings with both pro-Hamas groups and Jewish community members but struggles to back Israel.The controversy shows no signs of ending as the Sask NDP continues to refuse to back Israel's right to defend itself from the terrorist group Hamas.With voters heading to the polls on October 28, it remains to be seen how supporting Hamas could affect certain activist Sask NDP candidates.
