Antisemitism > The British Columbia Govt's only Jewish Minister driven from the NDP Party for speaking the truth

 

MLA Selina Robinson quits NDP caucus, claiming antisemitism, ‘double standard’

By Simon Little  Global News

Posted March 6, 2024 4:13 pm

 Updated March 6, 2024 5:49 pm

 4 min read

Former B.C. cabinet minister Selina Robinson is quitting the NDP caucus to sit as an independent, citing a lack of support from her colleagues and a failure of the party to address antisemitism.

The move follows Robinson’s exit from cabinet in February, amid backlash over her comment that Israel was founded on a “crappy piece of land with nothing on it,” which critics called racist and Islamophobic.

It matters not that it was the absolute truth. The Holy Land was mostly unpopulated desert land since the Jewish diasporas in the 1st and 2nd centuries. It wasn't until the Jews began returning and forming Kibbutzim in 1910 that the desert started to be reclaimed. 

Nevertheless, Islam will not tolerate the truth interfering with the myth of Palestinian people living happily in the Holy Land before 1948.

If David Eby was interested in the truth, it's readily available on the internet.

Pre-1948 Al Aqsa Mosque (3rd holiest site in Islam)

In an interview Wednesday, Robinson, who is Jewish, told Global News the party’s response to the controversy was the deciding factor amid tensions with colleagues that had been growing since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

3:39

Selina Robinson resigns as B.C.’s advanced education minister

“I haven’t felt supported by my caucus. My heart was breaking along every step of the way,” she said.

“There’s been, what I felt was a double standard that whenever one of my caucus colleagues said something antisemitic — intentionally or unintentionally, usually it was unintentional — an apology would suffice … This unfortunately was seen differently.”

She said B.C.’s Jewish community has repeatedly offered forgiveness over offensive comments but hasn’t seen the type of response from government as in her case, “and it comes across as antisemitic.”

Robinson apologized in a social media post after the controversial comments, acknowledging they were “disrespectful.”

But the government faced protests, calls to remove her from cabinet, and a ban on NDP MLAs from entering some B.C. mosques.

Days later, Premier David Eby said he had accepted Robinson’s resignation as post-secondary education minister, calling her remarks “belittling and demeaning.”

“When you hurt someone, you need to reach out and figure out how to reduce harm,” the premier told media. “The depth of work she needs to do is substantial.”

1:32

Selina Robinson’s constituency office vandalized in Coquitlam

Robinson said Wednesday that she felt she was not given any choice but to step down as minister.

She added that she had asked the premier’s office if there was work she could do to try and heal divisions between the Jewish and Arab-Muslim communities, and had asked for antisemitism and anti-Islamophobia training for all of caucus, but was turned down.

“I just thought if we can’t do this important work to heal communities, then I didn’t know how I could carry on as a New Democrat,” she said, adding that she doesn’t feel supported as a Jewish woman.

In a statement, Eby said he was “saddened” to see Robinson leave, and that he wished her the best.

“I have deep respect and gratitude for all of the work she has done as a Minister, as an MLA in our caucus, and her advocacy for the Jewish community,” he said.

“Selina made a mistake, and she was doing the work to address the harm that was caused. I wish she had brought her concerns to me directly so we could have worked through them together.”

He went on to say that he condemns all forms of hate, including the rise of antisemitims.

BC NDP Government House Leader Ravi Kahlon said Robinson’s departure marked a “sad day.”

“Selina is clearly hurting. She made a mistake, but she has also done a lot of amazing work when she was in our caucus when she was a minister,” he said.

“I had a great deal of respect for her for the work she has done advocating for the Jewish community, also for the work she has done advocating for the LGBTQ community.”

Kahlon denied there was a double standard in the handling of her case, and denied the insinuation of antisemitism within the government caucus, adding Robinson had not raised any issues previously.

“The premier has spoken out many times on antisemitism. In fact just last week, we were talking about this in the legislature,” he said.

“We can’t impact what is happening across the world. What we can do is ensure that B.C. continues to be a welcoming place for everyone, no matter your faith, your gender identity or where you come from.”

5:10

How Selina Robinson’s comments might impact BC NDP

Since her exit from cabinet, Robinson’s constituency office has been defaced and she has reported getting death threats.

Prominent voices in the Jewish community have also criticized her ouster, alleging it showed Jewish leaders were held to different standards.

Dan Moskovitz, senior rabbi of Vancouver’s Temple Shalom, called the situation a “tragedy.”

“She has been such an incredible public servant and a dedicated member of that party for a very long time,” he told Global News.

“But there has been a breach of trust and I think more than her leaving the party, the party left her when the premier decided to make an example of her and not accept her apology and not accept her offers of how to reconcile and repair, which he has done with everyone else.”

Robinson, who has previously served as B.C. finance minister, has already announced she does not plan to run in the upcoming October provincial election.

Only Jew in the B.C. Cabinet forced out for speaking the truth

 

This is an example of the power of Islam and antisemites over the British Columbia government even while Islam makes up a very small percentage of British Columbians. Someone speaking the truth about Israel has no place in the NDP cabinet.

Selina Robinson was the only cabinet minister of Jewish origin. It's a big win for antisemites to get rid of her influence in Cabinet. As a Christian, they have helped me decide who I will vote for in the next provincial election.

Selina Robinson steps down as B.C. minister

following controversial comments

By Amy Judd  Global News

Posted February 5, 2024 1:15 pm

 Updated February 5, 2024 5:41 pm

Global News Hour at 6 BC: Selina Robinson resigns as B.C.'s advanced education minister

Selina Robinson is stepping down as B.C.’s minister of advanced education, Premier David Eby announced Monday afternoon. She will remain in the BC NDP caucus.

Eby said the government has been reaching out to the community on how to make things better. “When you hurt someone, you need to reach out and figure out how to reduce harm. The depth of work she needs to do is substantial.”

He said Robinson’s comments were “belittling and demeaning.”

Yes, but they were also true. Prior to 1947, the Holy Land was a mostly desert wasteland, as it had been for nearly 1900 years. It was never a country since 70AD, and none of the Islamic countries in the Middle East or North Africa wanted any responsibility for it until the Jews showed up and began reclaiming it from wasteland. 

Palestinians don't want you to know the real history of the Holy Land because then you would know that nearly all Palestinians come from North Africa and Arabia, and they came to the Holy Land in the 20th century. 

They also don't want you to know that in the 20th century, Islamic North Africa purged about 900,000 Jews. Most of them had nowhere else to go but to the Holy Land. This is far from the first time Islam has attempted ethnic cleansing of the Jews, and yet, they want you to feel sorry for them like they are the victims. *SR

2:01

B.C. premier announces minister of education will step down following controversial comments

Eby added it was clear the amount of work Robinson had to do was too much for her to balance her work in the cabinet.

“What has become apparent is the scope of work, the depth of the hurt, as a result, we came to the conclusion together – she needed to step back.”

Dozens of people showed up to protest outside a BC NDP caucus retreat in Surrey on Monday morning, demanding Robinson be removed from her role, following her comments last week that Israel was founded on a “crappy piece of land.”

In her initial comments, made in an online panel discussion hosted by B’nai Brith Canada, Robinson also equated the generations-long battle between Israelis and Palestinians to a fight between the Tsleil-Waututh and the Squamish First Nations over land.

In a statement, B’nai Brith said it was “unfortunate that comments that she made last week have resulted in her feeling compelled to step down from her ministerial position.”

“We believe that her apology was sincere and that MLA Robinson will work to regain the confidence of the constituents who were offended by her remarks,” the Jewish human rights group said.

4:47

Protesters call for B.C. minister’s resignation following controversial comments

Robinson previously apologized in a social media post, saying her comments were “disrespectful,” and that she had been referring to the land having limited natural resources.

Natural resources like water!

Robinson issued another apology Monday morning, adding that she will take part in anti-Islamophobia training.

Eby said Robinson has a lot of work to do with people in different communities.

Following Eby’s announcement Monday afternoon, Robinson issued a statement, saying “This decision does not excuse my harmful comments, nor does it absolve me of the work I am committed to doing.

“While I had previously decided not to run again in the next election I remain committed to my constituents for the remainder of my term.”

Corruption is Everywhere > How to make $2.3m out of nothing

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Former Bolivian minister sentenced to 70 months for laundering bribes

By Darryl Coote

U.S. NEWS 

JAN. 4, 2023 / 11:33 PM

   

Arturo Carlos Murillo Prijic, 58, of Bolivia, was sentenced Wednesday to 70 months' imprisonment. Photo courtesy of Asamblea Legislativa Plurinacional/Flikr

Jan. 4 (UPI) -- A U.S. federal judge has sentenced a former Bolivian minister to nearly six years in prison after he admitted to a charge of attempting to launder bribes he received for securing government contracts for a U.S. company.

Arturo Carlos Murillo Prijic, 58, of Bolivia, was sentenced Wednesday to 70 months' imprisonment, federal prosecutors said in a statement.

The businessman and hotelier, who served as Bolivia's minister of government from 2019 to 2020, had pleaded guilty in October to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Prosecutors said Murillo had received at least $532,000 in bribes for securing contracts worth some $5.6 million for a Florida-based company to provide the Bolivian defense ministry with tear gas and other non-lethal equipment in 2019.

The charge Murillo pleaded guilty to stemmed from his use of the U.S. financial system to launder the bribery funds, of which he received $130,000 in cash payments at a family member's Miami home.

Murillo, his chief of staff Sergio Rodrigo Mendez Mendizabal, 51, and three Americans -- Luis Berkman, 58, Bryan Berkman, 36, and Philip Lichtenfeld, 48 -- were arrested in May of 2021 in the United States in connection to the scheme.

Astonishing!

Prosecutors said Bryan Berkman, the owner of the Florida company, with his father, Luis Berkman, sought to win the contract from the Bolivian government concerning non-lethal equipment in November 2019.

That month, the younger Berkman sent Mendez a WhatApp message requesting a letter stating that their competitor for the contract had been "banned" from selling the Brazilian tear gas to Bolivia.

In December, Berkman's company then entered into a $5.6 million contract with the Bolivian Ministry of Defense to supply the non-lethal equipment. It then purchased the equipment from a Brazilian company for some $3.35 million for a profit of nearly $2.3 million.

So, Bolivian taxpayers had to come up with an extra 40% for nothing. I wonder why UPI is hiding the names of the companies involved?

The Berkmans, Mendez and Lichtenfeld all pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme and were sentenced in June.

Mendez was sentenced to 42 months in prison while Luis Berkman received 38 months. Bryan Berkman was sentenced to 28 months and Lichtenfeld was sentenced to 26. 

These men should never be allowed to operate any type of business again. They are obviously devoid of a moral compass.

Corruption is Everywhere > Chinese Police Stations - Two more located in Canada; Chinese corruption and Canada's indifference; Chinese-Canadian Minister in Conflict of Interest

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Two More Chinese Police Stations in Canada Among 48 Additional

Illegal Police Outposts Identified Globally: Report

The Chinese Embassy in Ottawa in a file photo. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)

By Andrew Chen

December 6, 2022; Updated: December 7, 2022

In addition to the three unofficial Chinese police stations in Toronto that have drawn widespread concern in recent months, two more have been found in Canada, according to a new report by Safeguard Defenders. They are among 48 Beijing-operated illegal police outputs around the world that have been newly identified by the Spain-based human rights NGO, which had earlier identified 54 such outposts.

“Patrol and Persuade,” released Dec. 5, is the third report in a series of investigations conducted by Safeguard Defenders focusing on these overseas police service stations that it says are part of transnational repression and long-arm policy by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The NGO notes that all of its documentation is exclusively based on open-source accounts published by Chinese authorities and state media run by the CCP.

This brings the total number of unofficial Chinese police stations discovered to 102, with an overall presence in 53 countries. Among the two newly identified stations in Canada, one was found in Vancouver while the exact location of the other remains unknown.

A previous report, published in September, found that two local-level police authorities in two provinces under the Chinese Ministry of Public Security have been operating 54 overseas Chinese police service stations around the world, including three that are posted in the Greater Toronto Area. The service stations are run by the Fuzhou Public Security Bureau in Fujian Province and the Qingtian Public Security Bureau in Zhejiang Province.

Safeguard Defenders’ new report identified two additional local Chinese police jurisdictions that have been running at least 48 other overseas Chinese police service stations. These include 29 stations set up by the Nantong Public Security Bureau based in Jiangsu province, and 12 created by the Wenzhou Public Security Bureau, which is also in Zhejiang Province. Six additional stations are found operated by the Qingtian police and one station is set up by the Fuzhou police authority.

The Dec. 5 report says the operations of the Wenzhou police authority began with a 2016 “pilot” project in Milan, Italy, and the Nantong police authority began its overseas campaign in February 2016. The Qingtian police bureau also began its overseas operations in Milan in 2018.

“This directly refutes PRC [People’s Republic of China] authorities’ statements that the operations started in response to the Covid 19 pandemic,” Safeguard Defenders said in its report.

Operation Fox Hunt

Safeguard Defenders initiated its investigation after it saw the Chinese authorities touting the success of the overseas police service stations in supporting a Beijing campaign aimed at fighting telecommunications fraud committed by Chinese nationals living abroad.

According to the September report, between April 2021 and July 2022, the Chinese police “persuaded” up to 230,000 claimed fugitives to return to China “voluntarily” to face criminal proceedings, though it has also admitted that not all the targets have committed crimes.

“Persuasion to return” is a key method of the Chinese government’s “involuntary returns” operations, which include its “Operation Fox Hunt” and broader “Sky Net” campaign, Safeguard Defenders said.

The method entails either “tracking down of the target’s family in China in order to pressure them through means of intimidation, harassment, detention or imprisonment into persuading their family members to return ‘voluntarily,’” or directly approaching the target “through online means or the deployment of—often undercover—agents and/or proxies abroad to threaten and harass the target into returning ‘voluntarily,’” according to the report.

The Dec. 5 report cited new data from an Oct. 27 working report by the CCP’s Central Commission for Disciplinary Inspection, which said that since the start of the operations in 2014 and October 2022, over 11,000 successful Fox Hunt operations have been concluded in 120 countries.

New information also identified at least one illegal “persuasion to return” operation run through the Wenzhou station in Paris, France, and at least 80 cases where the Nantong overseas police stations have assisted in the operation to capture or persuade individuals to return to China.

“This contradicts PRC authorities’ statements that the stations are merely providing administrative services,” said the report.

The Chinese Embassy in Canada has previously acknowledged the existence of the three police service stations in the GTA in response to a CBC News inquiry, but argued that the stations are for providing Chinese citizens living abroad with civil services such as driver’s licence renewal, and that the stations are staffed by volunteers who are “not Chinese police officers” and “not involved in any criminal investigation or relevant activity.”

Safeguard Defenders, however, pointed to a contradictory statement from the Qingtian Public Security Bureau, which claimed to have “hired” 135 people to manage its first 21 service stations, according to a statement published on May 2019 by the People’s Public Security Daily, a state-media under the Ministry of Public Security.

The news article also indicated the Qingtian police service stations’ participation in Beijing’s Fox Hunt operation, saying that “through the construction of overseas service stations, Qingtian police have achieved new breakthroughs in overseas pursuit of fugitives.”

“Since 2018, they have successfully concluded 6 criminal cases involving overseas Chinese. Through the assistance of the ‘Police and Overseas Chinese Liaison Office,’ one person on the red notice was arrested and two have been persuaded to return to China. The [City of Qiantian] ranks number one in “Fox Hunt Operation,” the state media outlet said.

Another jurisdiction, Wenzhou, uses similar language announcing the hiring or appointment of 19 persons early after the launch of their first stations, which was further confirmed by a certificate for a Stockholm “overseas liaison officer” for the station, according to Safeguard Defenders.

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Ottawa hears of ‘active foreign interference network’ in secret

Privy Council Office memo

By Sam Cooper  Global News

Posted December 13, 2022 1:15 pm

Updated December 13, 2022 2:48 pm

The Parliament Hill Peace Tower is framed in an iron fence on Wellington Street in Ottawa on March 12, 2020.

Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press

A February 2020 Privy Council Office national security memo documented China‘s alleged “subtle but effective foreign interference networks” that targeted the 2019 federal contest, said MP Michael Cooper.

Apparently, this memo took at least a year to travel from the Privy Council's Office to the PMO. it's a good thing they are in the same building or it might never have gotten there.

In the Procedure and House Affairs Committee hearing Tuesday, the Conservative member from Edmonton quoted from a redacted document, saying: “Investigations into activities linked to the Canadian federal election in 2019, reveal an active foreign interference network,” and added that it referenced the Chinese Communist Party.

The PCO regularly briefs the Prime Minister’s Office and appropriate cabinet ministers on national security intelligence. The redacted document was provided to the committee, which is mandated to investigate federal documents regarding allegations of People’s Republic of China (PRC) foreign interference. Global News has reviewed the document.

While Cooper did not cite the document’s source, intelligence sources say it comes from the Privy Council Office’s Intelligence Assessment Secretariat. Cooper said the redacted “Daily foreign intelligence brief” was published on Feb. 21, 2020.

The multi-partisan group of MPs began hearings in November in response to revelations in Global News reports that outlined Canadian intelligence probes into what sources called China’s vast campaign of interference targeting Canadian elections and politicians, as well as Beijing’s alleged covert “Fox Hunt” police operations in Canada that are targeting Chinese-Canadian communities.

These CSIS investigations were summarized in memos and briefs that started in January 2022, Global reported last month, and intelligence sources said they contained an allegation that China’s Toronto consulate covertly funded an interference network that included political staffers and at least 11 election candidates. Those sources also said that this information was provided to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and several ministers.

Beijing has denied the allegations.

Separate Global News intelligence sources with awareness of the Privy Council Office report say that the document also refers to at least 11 Greater Toronto Area election candidates targeted by the PRC in the 2019 contest, part of a loosely organized network that involves community leaders, political staff and some politicians who take “broad guidance,” from China’s consulate in Toronto, according to the February 2020 PCO memo.

Intelligence sources also told Global News that the Consulate made a clandestine transfer of around $250,000 to the Toronto-based network, a detail that the prime minister was not briefed on. Contrary to what members in Parliament and elsewhere have said, no names of network members were included in the memos and briefs, and there is no evidence showing that China directly earmarked money for the 2019 federal contest.

Sources with knowledge of the redacted February 2020 Privy Council Office memo say it determined that some of “at least 11 candidates in the 2019 election” are likely unaware of China’s influence efforts, but some have knowingly cooperated with the clandestine interference schemes, according to the document.

Cooper asked Liberal Dominic LeBlanc, the minister of intergovernmental affairs, if he had been briefed on China’s alleged election interference in the 2019 election.

LeBlanc said he has been briefed generally on foreign interference, but citing security reasons, he said he could not disclose whether he has been informed of “specific cases.”

“I don’t have this supposed list of 11 candidates. In my discussions with security officials, they did not provide these names,” he said.

And, apparently, he didn't ask for them. In fact, no one in the government has asked for them even now.

Cooper added the Procedure and House Affairs Committee is aware of CSIS investigations that say China has targeted politicians and riding associations as part of its election-interference campaigns. Cooper did not cite dates or more specific information on the CSIS investigations.

In response to a question from B.C. NDP MP Rachel Blaney, who asked why Canadians have not been informed of the names of 11 candidates allegedly targeted by China, Liberal Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly reiterated that both she and Trudeau were not provided specific information in 2022 on China’s alleged election interference, including the names of 11 candidates targeted by China, or whether China had directly funded candidates in the 2019 contest.

And, again, neither she nor Trudeau has asked for them? Why, probably because Trudeau already knows at least one or more of those.

“Reports of Chinese election interference in 2019 are very troubling and we take (the reports) seriously,” Joly said. “We must ensure there is no interference, and we are taking a whole of government approach,” to combat disinformation and interference from nations including China and Russia.”

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Trade minister apologizes for breaking conflict of interest rules

Mary Ng failed to recuse herself from contracts granted to personal friend, report finds

Richard Raycraft · CBC News · 

Posted: Dec 13, 2022 12:27 PM ET | 

Minister of International Trade Mary Ng speaks during a news conference in Ottawa on May 5. Ng has apologized after the conflict of interest and ethics commissioner found she contravened the Conflict of Interest Act. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

International Trade Minister Mary Ng has apologized after Canada's conflict of interest and ethics commissioner concluded she placed herself in a conflict of interest through her involvement in a decision by her office to award contracts to a friend's company.

Ng's office signed contracts for media and communications training with public relations agency Pomp & Circumstance, co-founded and run by Amanda Alvaro.

The commissioner stated in his report, released Tuesday, that Ng and Alvaro are friends according to the definition in the Conflict of Interest Act. Alvaro is a regular panellist on CBC's Power & Politics.

The contracts were signed on behalf of the minister in March 2019 and April 2020. 

"Minister Ng twice failed to recognize a potential conflict of interest involving a friend, an oversight of her obligations under the Conflict of Interest Act," Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion said in a news release.

"There is simply no excuse for contracting with a friend's company."

In a statement posted to Twitter Tuesday, Ng apologized.

"I take full responsibility for my actions. I should have recused myself and apologize to all for not having done so," Ng said in the statement.

"At no time was there an issue of any personal benefit for me, nor any intention for anyone to benefit inappropriately."

There is more on this story at CBCNews.

CBC would never mention it, but Mary Ng is from the Greater Toronto area and is also of Chinese origin. What are the odds that she is one of the 11 crooked MPs accepting funds from China?

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