The San Francisco’s teachers’ union passed a resolution in support of BDS, the first K-12 union of public school teachers to do so, JTA reported.
The resolution was approved on May 19, shortly before Operation Guardian of the Walls began. The vote was passed by the union’s assembly members, with 23 in favor, six opposed, and seven abstaining.
The resolution, submitted by ten teachers in the union, calls on the Biden administration to stop aid to Israel, claiming that the Jewish state is guilty of the “forced displacement and home demolitions” of Palestinians in Jerusalem and of creating “a regime of legalized racial discrimination.”
“As public school educators in the United States of America, we have a special responsibility to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people because of the 3.8 billion dollars annually that the US government gives to Israel, thus directly using our tax dollars to fund apartheid and war crimes.”
Although the resolution demands that Israel stop its “bombardment of Gaza and stop displacement at Sheikh Jarrah,” it makes no mention of Hamas rocket attacks on Israel.
Tyler Gregory, San Francisco Jewish Community Relations Council Executive Director, responded to the resolution by saying that it is “factually inaccurate and inflammatory.”
“Rather than supporting all students whose families may be impacted by the conflict, Israelis, Palestinians, Jews and Arabs, this vote will contribute to Jewish students feeling unsafe and unwelcomed in San Francisco public schools,” he said. “We are committed to fighting for fair and inclusive policies to support Jews and other marginalized communities in public education.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)