The Massachusetts Teachers Association’s board of directors voted on a statement accusing the U.S. government of complicity in genocide in Gaza, leading to criticism from teachers, Jewish organizations, and the Newton Teachers Association (NTA).
NTA labeled the motion as “antisemitic dog-whistling” and demanded its retraction, emphasizing the need to address the complexity of the situation and the impact on innocent Palestinians and Israelis.
Jewish groups also criticized the MTA for not including mention of Hamas in the resolution, and a Jewish Boston suburb expressed concern. (Trending: Joe Biden Impeachment Formalized As Republicans Unite)
Critics called the statement “unconscionable” and questioned its potential impact in the classroom.
“Some will defend this motion, and deny that to accuse Israel of engaging in a ‘genocidal war on the Palestinian people’ will provoke further antisemitism, or deny that the very use of the word ‘genocide’ to characterize the actions of a people who experienced the Holocaust is callous,” NTA’s statement read.
“However, the motion approved by the MTA Board will provoke further antisemitism, and it is callous,” it added, demanding that the MTA retract the motion that called for a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the American government’s “complicity.”
“As an educators’ union, we must take a stand with our union siblings, and promote peace and justice in the region by calling for an end to our government’s complicity with Israel’s genocidal assault on the people of Gaza and intent to take over their territory,” the MTA stated.
“How many deaths, how many more children must die, before we take a stand? Silence is complicity,” the MTA statement added.
“Any such resolution that does not demand a return of the hostages or call for removal of Hamas as a terrorist organization fails to address the reality of the war and further ensures violence without a path for peace,” Jeremy Burton said.
“The MTA’s ceasefire resolution does not address any of these realities. We expect better from our educational partners.”
“The motion and rationale approved by the MTA Board captures how the tragedy impacts many innocent Palestinians in Gaza,” NTA’s statement says. “But the statement fails completely to hold in mind the atrocities against Israelis on October 7, the complexity of the situation, and the trauma, pain, and fallout the Israeli, American, and international Jewish communities are experiencing.”
“There is no ‘genocide’ underway, but a defensive war by Israel to counter Hamas, which initiated the conflict by invading Israel and slaughtering more than 1000 innocent lives,” executive director of the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (CAMERA) Andrea Levin said.
“Will these same educators, who have supported the defamatory accusation of ‘genocide’ and who overlook the suffering of Israelis, propagate these views in the classroom?” Levin pressed.
“Parents rightfully need assurance that advocates of the MTA’s defamatory statement will refrain from disseminating false claims and inciting hostility towards Israel and Jewish students.”
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