Rob Shaw: Eby's weak response to antisemitism crisis threatens NDP government

Premier David Eby says a humbling failure of his own leadership led former cabinet minister Selina Robinson to quit the B.C. NDP with a scathing resignation letter this week, after he and his top officials failed to recognize her growing concerns about antisemitism within the party.

The surprisingly frank admission on Thursday capped the worst 24-hour period the premier has faced so far during his 16 months in power.The NDP rejected BC United’s suggestion of an independent inquiry into antisemitism. It did not follow through with antisemitism or anti-Islamophobia caucus training, as Robinson proposed.

But to be doubly fair, it was scheduled long before the Robinson resignation, and is more a function of fortunate timing than genuine outreach from the NDP to the Jewish community. “I understand why Selena resigned from her caucus, because she needs to be an independent voice to call out the antisemitism that we clearly now know exists in the NDP.”In fact, Environment Minister George Heyman, who described himself as a non-practising member of the Jewish community, went so far Thursday to deny any antisemitism had happened at all, dismissing Robinson’s concerns as “her interpretation of what she’s experienced.

Heyman’s comments “made my stomach turn,” said Ezra Shanken, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver. “Her statements are public, they’re on the record. And the problem is he’s not addressing her accusations directly.”The first is that while Eby’s all-powerful premier’s office might be good with crafting policy, it clearly is less skilled in managing actual people.

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