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Talking about the conflict in the Middle East has proven to be a political minefield, costing several Canadian politicians, including Selina Robinson, their jobs
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B.C. NDP MLAs were told by Premier David Eby not to weigh in on the Israel-Hamas war, Postmedia News has learned.
Some MLAs who spoke with Postmedia said they understood the premier’s approach of having a unified voice while others were upset at being silenced. More than 30,000 people in Gaza have been killed during Israel’s campaign to destroy Hamas and rescue hostages kidnapped during the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas, which killed 1,200 Israelis.
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In an interview Friday, former NDP cabinet minister Selina Robinson confirmed MLAs were told to stay silent on the conflict.
“We were asked specifically to not comment on the conflict. We were asked by the premier,” she said. Robinson announced last week she was leaving the NDP caucus over concerns it hasn’t done enough to fight antisemitism among fellow MLAs.
Asked why MLAs were told not to weigh in, Robinson said: “The way to stay out of trouble on this conflict — because there are mixed feelings — is to be silent. And I think that’s the wrong direction. But that was direction we were asked to take.”
Robinson said as a Jewish politician and cabinet minister, she struggled with that edict.
“I’ve had to speak out. And I know that’s made things complicated for other people,” she said, acknowledging that MLAs have different views on the conflict.
Robinson’s outspokenness ended up costing her her job as post-secondary education minister. She was forced to resign from cabinet on Feb. 5 after backlash over controversial statements she made during an online forum in late January.
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Robinson sent a letter to NDP MLAs which raised several issues she said point to antisemitism permeating the party’s caucus.
One of the examples cited by Robinson was a statement made by Mable Elmore, NDP MLA for Vancouver-Kensington, in the legislature on Nov. 20 when she said: “Canadians are united in calling for a ceasefire and for a peaceful resolution, which includes the return of all hostages.”
Elmore, who is also the parliamentary secretary for anti-racism initiatives, told reporters last week she disagrees with Robinson’s characterization of her statements and said she’s made it a focus in her life to “uphold human rights and social justice for all people.”
Asked why Elmore’s statement was problematic, Robinson said she “never mentioned the (Oct. 7) massacre, she never mentioned the word Jewish.” Also, Elmore broke rank and called for a ceasefire, Robinson said, despite the fact that her statement was supposed to be about a transgender day of remembrance.
“That wasn’t supposed to be her topic that day,” Robinson said. “And she did it anyway. So that was upsetting.”
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On Friday, when asked if he told his caucus not to speak about the Israel-Hamas conflict, Eby didn’t answer directly but indicated caucus was told to speak in a “collective” or “shared” voice.
Eby said he and some MLAs participated in vigils to mourn the deaths of Israelis following the attacks and “we’ve expressed concern collectively about both those attacks, and the ongoing death and devastation in Gaza.”
NDP MLAs, Eby said, have also expressed a “shared commitment … that we will not allow our provincial politics in B.C. to be used as a tool to divide British Columbia or our strength as a province.” He said the entire caucus is focused on fighting hate, discrimination and finding ways to “bring people together rather than drive them apart on international issues on all sides.”
Several NDP MLAs, including Environment Minister George Heyman, who is Jewish, have disagreed with Robinson’s characterization of incidents she called antisemitic.
Heyman told reporters last week that criticism of the Israel government is not antisemitic, but it becomes antisemitism when people blame the Jewish community for the actions of the Israeli government.
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Robinson’s letter also criticized MLAs Aman Singh and Katrina Chen for their response to an email Robinson sent days after the attacks asking if MLAs would join her at a vigil to mourn the victims. Robinson said she was embarrassed that only seven or eight NDP MLAs attended and slammed Singh for asking that “government make a public statement about the plight of the Palestinians.”
Shortly after Robinson released the letter, Chen wrote on the social media platform X: “Not wanting to see more kids and people die in Gaza is not antisemitism.” Chen shared a graphic from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees that reported 70 per cent of those who died in the Gaza Strip have been women and children.
Kareem Allam — who managed Kevin Falcon’s leadership bid for the B.C. Liberals, now called B.C. United, and Ken Sim’s successful campaign for Vancouver mayor — said it’s not unusual for a party leader to “whip” candidates and caucus members around messaging. However, Allam can’t think of when “a leader of a party would go out specifically to say don’t talk about this issue.
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However, Allam said the Israel-Hamas war has been an “immensely difficult” topic for politicians to comment on.
“Because for people who have a connection — whether it’s through religion or culture or birth to the Levant, to Israel to Gaza, Palestine or the West Bank — these are very deeply emotional issues,” said Allam, who is not currently connected to any political campaign. “So when you start getting into issues that are this significant and emotional it is understandable why people will go out and speak their mind and break rank.”
Ontario MPP Sarah Jama was booted from the NDP caucus in October over a social media attack that made no mention of the terrorist attack and instead focused on the decades-long struggle of Palestinians under Israeli occupation, which she called an “apartheid.”
The Israel-Hamas war and the generations-long conflict in the Middle East is an issue where “party (position) can conflict with personal value,” Allam said.
The head of the B.C. public service Shannon Salter sent a letter to public servants this week that political statements should be kept out of the workplace.
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This comes after B.C. United last week released a list of incidents involving anonymous government employees they say point to antisemitism within the public service. For example, an employee was upset that a colleague had a Palestinian flag and the phrase “from the river to the sea” in their Teams profile. Another employee was upset that pro-Palestinian posters, which referenced the resistance and advertised rallies, were hanging in the coffee area.
The official Opposition on Tuesday raised several incidents on post-secondary campuses that reveal a “culture of systemic antisemitism.”
B.C. United justice critic Mike de Jong said it’s “incredible” that despite having information about rising levels of antisemitism in high schools and universities, “the premier didn’t do anything. Well, he did one thing. He fired the member of his government who was calling attention to rising levels of antisemitism and making demands that something be done about it.”
After a meeting with Jewish leaders Friday, Eby acknowledged that B.C. has a “serious problem with rising antisemitism” and that government employees have had antisemitic experiences within the public service. However, he has deflected calls for an independent investigation into antisemitism.
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kderosa@postmedia.com
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