Eby meets Jewish leaders and vows to 'root out' antisemitism in B.C.
CTV
British Columbia Premier David Eby says he heard "devastating" accounts of antisemitism from the Jewish community and has vowed to work together to “root out” the problem.
British Columbia Premier David Eby says he heard “devastating” accounts of antisemitism from the Jewish community and has vowed to work together to “root out” the problem.
Eby met with leaders of several Jewish groups on Friday and said afterwards that antisemitism “exists in schools, in civil society, in private employers, and I believe that people have had antisemitism experiences within the government of B.C. public service.”
The premier said although none of the cases relayed to him by the Jewish groups have been reported to the province, he knows from personal experience as a human rights lawyer that people may be “incredibly scared” to come forward.
“If you have had experiences like this, bring forward your concerns,” Eby said. “It will be investigated and they will be addressed, and we will root out these issues.”
As for the province's directive to public servants on speaking on issues such as the Israel-Hamas conflict, Eby was firm.
“The message for the public service is really clear: You need to leave your politics at home.”
In a joint letter issued after the meeting, the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, the Rabbinical Association of Vancouver and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs said the groups want to see more concrete actions to address rising antisemitism in B.C.
