British Columbia Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills Minister Selina Robinson said she will be stepping down from her position after insulting Palestine. “This decision does not excuse my harmful comments nor does it absolve me of the work I am committed to doing,” said Robinson in a Monday statement. “While I had previously decided not to run again in the next election, I remain committed to my constituents for the remainder of my term.”.Calls for Robinson to resign started on Friday after she referred to Palestine as a wasteland during an online panel featuring Jewish politicians such as herself. She said young people “have no idea about the Holocaust, they don’t even think it happened.” In response, she admitted Israel was offered to Jews who were misplaced from their homes. “They don’t understand that it was a crappy piece of land with nothing on it,” she said. Robinson had said in a previous apology she has caused pain and distress among Palestinians, Muslims, and other people. “I am very sorry,” she said. “I bear full responsibility.”.While she made this mistake, she said she was committed to learning from it. To avoid making similar mistakes, she acknowledged she would be participating in anti-Islamophobia training. After reaching out to people affected by the comment, BC Premier David Eby said it became clear Robinson could not stay in her position. “It is important to recognize the harm and hurt in communities is the focus here,” said Eby..Because of this comment, Eby said what became apparent “is the scope of the work that needs to be done by Selina, the depth of the hurt she has caused to many British Columbians, and as a result, we reached a conclusion together that she needed to step back from cabinet so she could focus on that work.”This incident comes after Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles said in October she had removed MPP Sarah Jama (Hamilton Centre) from caucus effective immediately because she belitted Israel.READ MORE: UPDATED: Ontario NDP removes MPP from caucus over anti-Israel comments“Some of Ms. Jama’s actions have contributed to unsafe work environments for staff,” said Stiles. “As such, with the support of our Ontario NDP MPPs, I have been left with no option but to remove Ms. Jama from our Caucus.”
British Columbia Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills Minister Selina Robinson said she will be stepping down from her position after insulting Palestine. “This decision does not excuse my harmful comments nor does it absolve me of the work I am committed to doing,” said Robinson in a Monday statement. “While I had previously decided not to run again in the next election, I remain committed to my constituents for the remainder of my term.”.Calls for Robinson to resign started on Friday after she referred to Palestine as a wasteland during an online panel featuring Jewish politicians such as herself. She said young people “have no idea about the Holocaust, they don’t even think it happened.” In response, she admitted Israel was offered to Jews who were misplaced from their homes. “They don’t understand that it was a crappy piece of land with nothing on it,” she said. Robinson had said in a previous apology she has caused pain and distress among Palestinians, Muslims, and other people. “I am very sorry,” she said. “I bear full responsibility.”.While she made this mistake, she said she was committed to learning from it. To avoid making similar mistakes, she acknowledged she would be participating in anti-Islamophobia training. After reaching out to people affected by the comment, BC Premier David Eby said it became clear Robinson could not stay in her position. “It is important to recognize the harm and hurt in communities is the focus here,” said Eby..Because of this comment, Eby said what became apparent “is the scope of the work that needs to be done by Selina, the depth of the hurt she has caused to many British Columbians, and as a result, we reached a conclusion together that she needed to step back from cabinet so she could focus on that work.”This incident comes after Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles said in October she had removed MPP Sarah Jama (Hamilton Centre) from caucus effective immediately because she belitted Israel.READ MORE: UPDATED: Ontario NDP removes MPP from caucus over anti-Israel comments“Some of Ms. Jama’s actions have contributed to unsafe work environments for staff,” said Stiles. “As such, with the support of our Ontario NDP MPPs, I have been left with no option but to remove Ms. Jama from our Caucus.”
