Former Chief of staff to Rachel Notley, Nathan Rotman, says recent antisemetic sentiments exposed within BC Premier Eby’s NDP party are rife in NDP governments across Canada. Rotman refers to a condemning letter sent by MLA Selina Robinson to her former NDP colleagues singling out Attorney General Niki Sharma, among others, for “failing to reach out to the Jewish community or understand their fear amid rising antisemitism in society.”Robinson’s letter prompted the Conservative Party of British Columbia to call for Eby to step down, citing “the revelation of rampant antisemitism within the NDP party.”Now, Rotman has said Eby’s party is not the only NDP government with an antisemitism problem — it’s “a national one.”“The letter by Robinson reflects the experiences of many in the NDP,” Rotman posted to social media Friday. “This is not a BC problem, it’s a national one.”“It’s become more uncomfortable to be Jewish in the party and that’s an understatement. I haven’t left the party but it’s certainly leaving me.”The former chief of staff said he still supports “a ceasefire, more aid and two states,” but “we need to be able to do so while acknowledging history, and without resorting to outright antisemitism, racist tropes or the almost violent protests in our streets,” he wrote. .In the statement calling for Eby’s resignation, Conservative leader John Rustad said since the October 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel, pro-Palestine demonstrators have wreaked havoc across the province, illegally obstructing roads and bridges while “praising Hamas and shouting chants for Intifada.”“No arrests have been made,” wrote Rustad, disclosing an admission from Victoria Police Chief Constable Del Manak in a private meeting that his department was reluctant to make arrests due to the “unwillingness of Crown prosecutors who report to the Attorney General to proceed with charges.”A 26-page brief has been put together by BC lawyer and MLA candidate Tim Thielmann outlining the “ongoing violations of criminal laws by Victoria's antisemitic extremists and the legal basis on which other blockages and hate speech have been successfully prosecuted,” said Rustad. “The lack of action by Sharma illustrates an unfair, politically motivated double standard being applied by this NDP government on an incidence of anti-Jewish hate speech in antisemitism.”.Robinson in her letter said the BC government held a “double standard” on this issue of remaining silent while blatant anti-Israel demonstrations were ongoing in the province. “This double standard is antisemitism,” wrote Robinson. “Silence is not leadership, it is cowardice. And I cannot be silent.”
Former Chief of staff to Rachel Notley, Nathan Rotman, says recent antisemetic sentiments exposed within BC Premier Eby’s NDP party are rife in NDP governments across Canada. Rotman refers to a condemning letter sent by MLA Selina Robinson to her former NDP colleagues singling out Attorney General Niki Sharma, among others, for “failing to reach out to the Jewish community or understand their fear amid rising antisemitism in society.”Robinson’s letter prompted the Conservative Party of British Columbia to call for Eby to step down, citing “the revelation of rampant antisemitism within the NDP party.”Now, Rotman has said Eby’s party is not the only NDP government with an antisemitism problem — it’s “a national one.”“The letter by Robinson reflects the experiences of many in the NDP,” Rotman posted to social media Friday. “This is not a BC problem, it’s a national one.”“It’s become more uncomfortable to be Jewish in the party and that’s an understatement. I haven’t left the party but it’s certainly leaving me.”The former chief of staff said he still supports “a ceasefire, more aid and two states,” but “we need to be able to do so while acknowledging history, and without resorting to outright antisemitism, racist tropes or the almost violent protests in our streets,” he wrote. .In the statement calling for Eby’s resignation, Conservative leader John Rustad said since the October 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel, pro-Palestine demonstrators have wreaked havoc across the province, illegally obstructing roads and bridges while “praising Hamas and shouting chants for Intifada.”“No arrests have been made,” wrote Rustad, disclosing an admission from Victoria Police Chief Constable Del Manak in a private meeting that his department was reluctant to make arrests due to the “unwillingness of Crown prosecutors who report to the Attorney General to proceed with charges.”A 26-page brief has been put together by BC lawyer and MLA candidate Tim Thielmann outlining the “ongoing violations of criminal laws by Victoria's antisemitic extremists and the legal basis on which other blockages and hate speech have been successfully prosecuted,” said Rustad. “The lack of action by Sharma illustrates an unfair, politically motivated double standard being applied by this NDP government on an incidence of anti-Jewish hate speech in antisemitism.”.Robinson in her letter said the BC government held a “double standard” on this issue of remaining silent while blatant anti-Israel demonstrations were ongoing in the province. “This double standard is antisemitism,” wrote Robinson. “Silence is not leadership, it is cowardice. And I cannot be silent.”
