British Columbia minister resigns for Palestine comments

(Reuters) - A senior government minister in the Canadian province of British Columbia resigned on Monday after saying last week that modern Israel was founded on a "crappy piece of land," a comment that outraged pro-Palestinian groups.

Selina Robinson, who is Jewish, made the comments during a panel discussion on Thursday and apologized in a public statement on Friday.

She said she understood her "flippant comment" diminished the connection Palestinians also had to the land.

The modern state of Israel was created in 1948 from land that was previously part of Palestine, triggering decades of conflict in the Middle East including the current war that has been raging since October.

British Columbia premier David Eby said Robinson, the province's minister of advanced education, and he jointly decided she should step down after reaching out to many communities that were harmed by her remarks.

"Selina's comments were wrong, they crossed the line, they were belittling and demeaning to a community of people that is already under profound pressure due to the war in the Middle East," Eby told a news conference.

Robinson will remain a member of the New Democratic Party caucus.

(Reporting by Nia Williams; Editing by Stephen Coates)