Former BC Minister’s Office Vandalized After Her Resignation for Remark on Pre-1948 Israel-Palestine Region

British Columbia Finance Minister Selina Robinson speaks during the official opening of the Canadian Cancer Society Centre for Cancer Prevention and Support, in Vancouver on Nov. 10, 2021. The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck

The office of B.C.’s recently resigned minister of post-secondary education, New Democrat Selina Robinson, was vandalized just a day after she stepped down for comments on the Israel-Palestine region.

Premier David Eby posted the news of the attack on his social media account on Feb. 6, saying the actions were “wrong.”

“Selina Robinson’s office was vandalized last night, which included hateful messages,” the post said. “This is wrong. Peaceful protest cannot include spreading hate.”

Mr. Eby announced on Feb. 5 that Ms. Robinson had decided to step down from her position for comments she made regarding the Israel-Palestine region pre-1948, saying that Israel was founded on a “crappy piece of land.”

The comments were made during a Jan. 30 panel discussion hosted by B’nai Brith Canada, a Jewish advocacy organization.

Many pro-Palestinian groups began calling for her resignation.

At an impromptu press conference held on Feb. 5, Mr. Eby said that her “belittling” comments would see her removed from cabinet but that she would remain in the NDP caucus, according to media reports.

“The depth of the work that minister Robinson needs to do, in order to address the harms that she’s caused, is significant,” Mr. Eby said.

On Feb. 5, Ms. Robinson issued an apology for her comments.

“My words were inappropriate, wrong, and I now understand how they have contributed to Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism,” she said.

“I am committed to learning from this significant mistake. To that end, I will be taking part in anti-Islamophobia training to more deeply understand the concerns that have been expressed to me.”

She said she will be working to rebuild the trust that was lost with her words.

“I am sorry. I will do better.”

Jewish Community ‘Hurting’

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) said it is concerned by the removal from cabinet of Ms. Robinson, who is Jewish.

“The removal of MLA Robinson, who apologized for her comments and promised to do better, sends a chilling message that Jewish leaders are held to a different standard than non-Jewish ones,” Nico Slobinsky, vice president of the Pacific region of CIJA, said in a statement released on Feb. 5.

“In the past, when BC NDP politicians and staff have made antisemitic comments, the Jewish community has been asked to accept their apologies and – on every occasion – we have,” he said.

Mr. Slobinsky said Premier Eby needs to share the “steps he is going to take to repair the relationship” between his government and the Jewish community.

The CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver said the community in B.C. was “hurting.”

“The level of online vitriol aimed at Selina Robinson leading up to her resignation – which mirrors the reality faced by much of the Jewish community since the October 7 terrorist attacks committed by Hamas – shows worrying trends in our public discourse,” Ezra Shanken said. “We are saddened to have lost one of the strongest advocates fighting against antisemitism from within cabinet – especially at a time when it is needed most.”

The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) welcomed Mr. Eby’s move.

“We appreciate the engagement with his office and the decision to take action,” NCCM said in a Feb. 5 post on X, formerly Twitter.

“Ms. Robinson has made a string of deeply offensive and ignorant remarks about Palestinian history, culture, and civilization. Including referring to historical Palestine as a crappy piece of land,” the post said.

“This kind of dehumanization of Palestinians must not be tolerated. Dehumanization of any kind must be held accountable.”

Ontario MPP Censured

It’s not the first time a politician has been penalized for comments connected to the Israel-Hamas conflict.

In October 2023, Hamilton MPP Sarah Jama was censured in the Ontario Legislature and removed from the NDP caucus for her social media comments about the conflict.

Ms. Jama posted comments on X, using NDP letterhead, on Oct. 10, just days after the Hamas attack on Israel, calling for an immediate cease-fire. She also described Israel’s military action in response to the attack as “apartheid.”

“We are seeing this definition of apartheid in real time through the continued violation of human rights in Gaza through the use of white phosphorous chemicals, the withholding of access to food, fuel, electricity, and water, and the destruction of the only exit from Gaza that isn’t controlled by the State of Israel—the Rafah border,” the post said.

She apologized for the comments a day later.

“I heard many voices yesterday raising concerns about my post. I hear them—and above all, I understand the pain that many Jewish and Israeli Canadians, including my own constituents, must be feeling. I apologize,” she wrote.

“To be clear, I unequivocally condemn terrorism by Hamas on thousands of Israeli civilians. I also believe that Israel’s bombardment and siege on civilians in Gaza, as was also noted by the United Nations, is wrong,” Ms. Jama posted.