In a recent speech to B’nai Brith Robinson called Palestine before European colonization “a crappy piece of land with nothing on it.” She added, “there were, you know, several hundred thousand people, but other than that it didn’t produce an economy, it couldn’t grow things it didn’t have anything on it.”
Her colonial — terra nullius — thinking must be rejected. It’s especially outrageous Robinson made that comment days after the International Court of Justice found it “plausible” Israel was committing genocide in Gaza and called on Israel to stop its genocidal incitement.
But it’s not just her words that should get her fired from cabinet. Robinson has acted on her anti-Palestinianism in a way that violates all democratic norms. As the minister in charge of BC’s post-secondary institutions she flagrantly violated academic freedom.
Yesterday the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) and Federation of Post-Secondary Educators of British Columbia (FSPE) jointly called for Robinson to resign after she intervened to pressure Langara College to fire Dr. Natalie Knight for supporting the Palestinian cause. After Knight was cleared by a college board for widely mediatized comments backing Palestinian resistance, Robinson expressed her disapproval and said she met college officials to express that position.
According to the FPSE, their call for Robinson to resign is the first time in the union’s 50-year history they’ve called for a minister’s resignation.
Robinson has a long anti-Palestinian track record, as former federal NDP candidate Beisan Zubi pointed out. The BC minister has posted and liked many anti-Palestinian messages on X. At the start of November Robinson posted, “We are a people, a nation whose origins are from Judea where there has always been a Jewish presence. Our ‘origin story’ is based on the land. The liturgy, prayers narratives are centred in Israel. Quite similar to how First Nations describe their connection to the land.”
At the time former federal NDP candidate Avi Lewis responded, “I hope you have to walk this one back Selina Robinson. You’ve gone too far. First of all, it’s bogus to claim all Jews share one ‘origin story’ in Israel. We don’’. But a BC NDP Minister comparing Zionism to the Indigenous relationship with land? Right now? Good lord.”
Lewis’ forceful response is important as it highlights a generational shift away from anti-Palestinianism in the NDP. Leaders of the federal and Ontario NDP in the 1970s, Avi’s father and grandfather played an important role in establishing an anti-Palestinian ethos in the NDP. As Ontario NDP leader Stephen Lewis even demanded the federal government cancel a major UN conference scheduled for Toronto in 1975 because the Palestine Liberation Organization was granted observer status at the UN the previous year and their representatives might attend.
In response to CAUT and FPSE’s call to resign, Robinson released a statement denying she intervened at Langara College. Similarly, as her comment about Palestine being “a crappy piece of land” blew up online Robinson apologized. But an apology is insufficient.
At the start of the genocide in Gaza the Ontario NDP ejected MPP Sarah Jama from the party after she called for a ceasefire and described Israel as an apartheid state. The contrasting response to Robinson’s repeated genocidal encouragement is remarkable.
If the BC NDP is to have any credibility as a defender of internationalism and human rights for all it must act decisively and quickly to disassociate itself from Robinson’s words and actions.
Anyone associated with the NDP should be raising their voice to demand her firing as minister of post-secondary education.
Please take a minute to email BC Premier David Eby to call for Robinson’s removal.
