A political phenomenon dubbed the "Red-Green Alliance," characterized by partnerships between Europe's far-left parties and Islamist groups, is increasingly shaping policy and sparking concerns about a rise in antisemitism. This trend is particularly evident in the continent's evolving relationship with Israel, as the far-left courts a growing bloc of Muslim voters.
In the United Kingdom, critics accused the left-wing Labour government of enacting sanctions against Israel as a maneuver to reclaim Muslim voters from the Green and Independent parties, which hold anti-Israel stances. Conservative lawmaker Tom Tugendhat described the sanctions as "performative politics."
In Sweden, exit polls from the recent parliamentary elections indicated that votes from non-European Swedes gave a slim lead to a left-wing alliance over the right-leaning coalition. One political researcher noted this election signified a "Mamdanification" of urban Sweden, widening the divide between city and country.
Experts highlight a worrying trend linking this alliance to a spike in antisemitic attacks. Simone Rodan-Benzaquen, senior envoy to Europe at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, stated that while disagreements may exist between these groups, Islamists are adept at concealing them for political gain. She believes that the antisemitism prevalent in Western Europe is significantly fueled by the discourse of the far-left. Alan Mendoza, executive director of the Henry Jackson Society in the U.K., echoed this sentiment, noting that a decade-long focus on the far-right has created a blind spot for the dangers posed by antisemitism from other political flanks, regardless of its perceived progressive packaging.
Researchers observe an "intriguing alliance between the supposedly progressive Left and regressive forces within Islamism," with a shared "victimization narrative" often serving as a unifying factor. For the left supporting the Palestinian cause, Muslims are framed as the oppressed, and Israel and the West as the oppressors, irrespective of the specific religious or social views of the Muslim population.
Similar patterns are observed across Europe. In Berlin, Germany, the far-left party Die Linke, which polls show leading the center-right Christian Democratic Union, has factions linked to groups that German security services associate with Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Mendoza pointed out that when slogans like "Death to the IDF" and "Intifada" are used at party events, and party members defend those uttering them, a critical line has been crossed.
Rodan-Benzaquen noted that while Germany maintains a political "firewall" against far-right parties, this defense is less effective against the far-left, partly due to a perception that left-wing rhetoric is less morally objectionable than right-wing rhetoric.
In Spain, the far-left Sumar party is part of the ruling coalition and saw its strongest support in areas with significant Muslim populations. Party members have participated in demonstrations with groups linked to the Muslim Brotherhood and pushed for Spain to recognize a Palestinian state, which the country did in 2024.
France's far-left La France Insoumise (LFI) party has faced accusations of "Islamo-leftism." Its leader, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, has been criticized for refusing to label Hamas a terrorist organization and for party members marching with Islamist-linked non-governmental organizations. The LFI's electoral strength is reportedly concentrated in Muslim-majority suburban districts.
The Israeli Ambassador to France, Joshua Zarka, controversially compared Mélenchon's rhetoric to that of Hitler, citing its focus on uniting against a common enemy, specifically Israel. In the U.K., Britain's Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis described the government's sanctions against Israel as a "dark day for British Jews," warning that such "gesture politics" could embolden those who use hatred against Jews.
Experts suggest the "Red-Green alliance" has evolved over time, particularly during Jeremy Corbyn's leadership of the Labour Party in the U.K. This shift, they argue, saw the party move from a focus on class and social rights to identity politics to appeal to specific voter demographics. The alliance is not entirely new, with historical parallels drawn to the period surrounding the Islamic Revolution in Iran.
Europe's Muslim population has grown significantly, with Pew Research Center projections indicating a 15.9% increase from 2010 to an estimated 45–46 million. In contrast, the European Jewish population has fallen by 8% to under 1.3 million during the same period. Rodan-Benzaquen observes that European Jews, with their diminished electoral weight, have become a political football, with some left-wing parties using the fight against antisemitism primarily as a tool to criticize the far-right.