US Teachers' Union Shows Map Of Palestine Omits Israel; Israeli Lobby Calls It Anti-Semitism
The National Education Association (NEA) sent an email to nearly 3 million members featuring a map of Palestine, labelling the entire area of historic Palestine, with no traces of the Israeli state on it. NEA is the largest teachers’ Union in the United States. Notably, the map is part of classroom resources for an Indigenous Peoples campaign.
The depiction of Palestine on the entire land without the Israeli state presence has sparked outrage from pro-Israel and Jewish advocacy groups, who accused the NEA of erasing Israel and promoting anti-Semitic content.
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Reportedly, the email received by the teachers encouraged them to share the linked sources in classrooms, raising alarm among pro-Israeli groups who said that the material crossed ethical boundaries for educational guidance and lacked the organization’s standards of critical review and responsibility.
The NEA has since removed the map and said that it came from an external source and did not meet the union’s standards. The union is now conducting a review of all third-party material.
However, a ‘Native Land Digital’ map still identifies Israel as ‘Palestine’ and describes it as indigenous to the land.
Despite the removal of the map, critics say that the NEA has not been transparent, and the pro-Israeli groups have called for a public explanation and a ‘sincere apology’.
The Anti-Defamation League also criticised the NEA for ‘erasing Israel’ and stressed that educators must teach facts and not rewrite history. Notably, the league severed ties with NEA earlier this summer.
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The incident has sparked debate about the accountability in educational content, especially when millions of teachers are provided with resources that could influence classroom narratives. While the NEA blames external sources, the impact of the email and the continued presence of the map underline concerns over oversight and the responsibility of organizations entrusted with shaping young minds.
