Eby calls on minister to ‘repair the damage’ made by comments

VICTORIA — Premier David Eby says the province’s minister of post-secondary education needs to “repair the damage” caused by her comments that Israel was founded on a — quote — “crappy piece of land” — which has angered Palestinian solidarity groups.

Robinson has apologized on social media, saying her comments were “disrespectful,” and she had been referring to limited natural resources on the land.

Eby says the remarks were “totally unacceptable,” and “increase division” in the province at a time when people of Palestinian descent are feeling alienated.

Robinson made the original remarks in an online panel discussion with Jewish politicians hosted by B’nai Brith Canada, and video shows the minister saying the land on which modern Israel was founded “had nothing on it,” before adding that there were “several hundred thousand people.”