Anti-Semitism rife in UK schools

I think for certain demographics and certain maturity levels in school discussion of fine (alongside any sort of debate). However the people.pushing for school debates are not motivated by their children improving debating skills or improving their history of the middle East but more out of frustration their children cannot wear Palestinian flag badges etc. and they hope allowing free discussion of Gaza will allow a form of protest in the classroom where people can rage against the 'genocide' and the injustice of setting up the Israeli state.

We also have the scope for bullying of students who tried to take a pro Israeli approach in debate which can't be negated especially with reference to the current levels of anti semitiam.

So personally it would be a no for me overalll.

One would hope so, as well as the parents questioned. They were influenced, somewhere.

AMillionTomorrows · Today 09:31
‘Free Palestine’ becomes anti semitic when it is shouted at Jewish children in a school. As has happened to my child who was minding her own business at the time. A group of boys walked up to her and started shouting it at her. She had never made any comment about Israel or Palestine

That is so shocking. Were the boys reprimanded?

That's a great idea.

Perhaps tackle it from an anti bullying perspective. Students and teachers should not be targeted with antisemitism

I think it would be less raw after the war is over and people arent so whipped up by all the protests.

It is also used as support for a single democratic state, a two state solution or just a reference that Palestinians have been deprived of their freedoms and dignity and/or are living under occupation.

It’s been co-opted by many different groups. I’m sure you are smart enough to understand that it is a phrase that has multiple meanings and it very much depends on who is saying it and why. It has zero to do with this conversation as I completely agree in this context it is has been used to target someone because of their religion.

It certainly does have multiple interpretation. Fortunately, the only one that matters, is the one that's taken seriously. Anything else is the operation of free speech - naive and stupid - but still free speech.

Thanks for clarifying x

I think it has multiple interpretations. it has been used by a variety of people for a whole host of reasons. That’s why it is controversial.

In this context, aimed at random British Jewish people, it is most certainly antisemitic.

Thanks for your experience. I think it is quite traumatic for peoplle in a group setting to feel they have some responsibility for a particular position on something like this which is a subject potentially tied up with their identity. Wrapped up with the fact that everyone HAS to have a position to secure their place on the moral high ground. And its so prone to sloganeering.

Having had to lead a discussion on this topic, covering someone else's year 12 tutor group, with (probably) students of both Jewish and Arab descent in the class, hard agree - it's far too fraught and complex. You can't do.justice to it in a 15 minute tutor time. It trivialised serious issues.

The phrase Free Palestine didn’t originate with that organisation which seems to be only around since 2002. Your point is utterly meaningless.

Whatever opinion you hold about the phrase, I’m sure we can al agree that it is certainly antisemitic if it is directed at someone solely because they are Jewish like what @AMillionTomorrows child experienced or the teachers in the article.

Perhaps the schools should talk about how to treat each other and why bringing SM type attacks based on the issue is wrong. They probably do this idk

So it can be addressed but in a way to help students who might be targeted.

So 8 posts in a conversation about antisemitism in schools we are derailed by a discussion about whether 'free palestine' is antisemitic because someone decided to lob it into the conversation. And that is why keeping the 'debate' out of schools is probably a very good idea because the level of discussion is so poor and its an awful lot to expect of teachers, and the children who have an emotional investment in the subject.

I think it’s incredibly important this, and all, emotive current issues are discussed in a respectful school context. Otherwise we leave YouTube, TikTok and a child’s potentially very limited social circle to fill the void. I remember really valuable discussions on Kosovo, 911 and then the Iraq war when I was at school, for instance.

Sorry to hear this. You’re right it is antisemitic behaviour.

The last thing most Jewish children in a non Jewish school would want is another conversatiin about gaza. And probably muslim children too.

It was thank you. I just meant to say some slogans can be shouted by well meaning people without being anti semitic but the same slogans become anti semitic if they are used in a certain way. Context and intention is relevant.

‘Free Palestine’ becomes anti semitic when it is shouted at Jewish children in a school. As has happened to my child who was minding her own business at the time. A group of boys walked up to her and started shouting it at her. She had never made any comment about Israel or Palestine.