Nazih Khatatba at an event with Canadian parliamentarians on Tuesday. Photo: Twitter.

Canada’s New Democratic Party (NDP) has denied it invited an antisemitic, Holocaust-denying newspaper editor to a political event, following reports that its members hosted him at an event on Tuesday.

Nazih Khatatba, an infamous Holocaust denier appeared at an “International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People” event held by the the Canada-Palestine Parliamentary Friendship Group. He reportedly met with cabinet official and transportation minister Omar Alghabra, Green Party MP Elizabeth May, and CPFG chair and Liberal Party MP Salma Zahid.

“No NDP MPs invited this individual nor were they aware he would be present,” NPD said in a statement. “Many MPs from all political parties are part of friendship groups. The event MPs attended was in recognition of the UN’s International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People and not an attempt to celebrate or recognize any one individual.”

B’nai Brith, a Canadian Jewish rights group, has documented Khatatba’s antisemitic outrages for years, bringing attention both to his statements and the attempts of al-Meshwar, the newspaper in which he publishes his ideas, to elevate politicians perceived as being amenable to its ideology. In 2017, the paper endorsed New Democratic Party (NDP) MP Niki Ashton, citing her support for the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement and “pro-Palestinian positions.” Ashton later disavowed the endorsement.

“Khatatba’s presence on Parliament Hill speaks to the growing normalization of antisemitism in Canadian politics,” Documenting Antisemitism Canada (DAC), an advocacy group, told The Algemeiner on Friday. “We must hold our political leaders accountable for their tolerance of this hatred.”

The party went on to denounce antisemitism and Holocaust denial in its statement.

“New Democrats unequivocally denounce antisemitism and holocaust denial,” the party said in a statement.