The National Association for Education’s Jewish Affairs Caucus has taken a strong stand arguing against two cases before the National Assembly of the teachers’ union that are anti-Israel, according to its chairman.

Patrick Crabtree, chair of the Jewish Affairs Caucus, told the Cleveland Jewish News on July 2 that the caucus is monitoring potentially divisive business elements and notifying the presidents of state education associations of those elements.

Items to be voted on at the union’s annual meeting which runs through July 3 include item 29, which, if adopted, would allow the NEA to “make known its support for the Palestinian struggle for justice. and call on the US government to stop arming and supporting Israel and Saudi Arabia. Point 29 also states, if adopted, “The NEA will raise awareness of its support for refugee status for the millions of people in the region who are forced to move and seek refuge for themselves and their families in due to the conflict and the ongoing repression. “

“I’m pretty sure 29 is so divisive it’s going to ignite,” Crabtree told CJN. “I really believe it.”

New item 51 concerns education regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It places NEA members in the role of both educators and advocates for the conflict.

Crabtree also said he had informed Israeli consulates in New York and Washington, DC, of ​​the two items, which are under consideration for votes at the NEA virtual assembly.

Crabtree wrote, and the executive committee co-signed, a three-page letter detailing his position on the colon.

NEA Senior Media Strategist / Senior Press Officer Staci Maiers explained that the assembly is a democratic process involving 8,000 delegates representing over 3 million members.

“Delegates may submit new business items on any subject for consideration by the body of delegates – but unless they are passed and approved by a majority vote of the democratically elected delegates attending the (meeting). ) annual, these new business points submitted do not represent the position of the National Education Association, ”Maiers wrote in a July 1 statement emailed to CJN. “The NEA resolutions and legislative program represent the official positions of the organization.

Crabtree’s letter asks state presidents for their help because of concerns from members of the Jewish Affairs Caucus.

Citing an increase in anti-Muslim and anti-Semitic incidents, the caucus leadership said the articles “may inadvertently exacerbate anti-Semitic sentiment, or anti-Arab sentiment, in the United States, and Gd forbid, lead to abuses. hate crimes of some sort. “

If adopted, the articles could make Jewish students “feel uncomfortable” and would put the NEA “at odds with the Jewish community as a whole, which has a history of supporting public education. quality and the rights of teachers and others. be part of the union of their choice, ”Crabtree wrote.

“During our years of participating in the various representative assemblies of the NEA, we have seen anti-Semitic, anti-Israel offensives (new commercial elements) and I even stood up at the microphone to oppose any consideration,” he said. writes Crabtree, “But we’ve never seen (a new business element) reverberate like these two (new business elements) throughout the Jewish community.

Crabtree’s letter also states, “We want you to know that we believe Israel has the right to exist and to be safe.

His letter ends with the following: “We ask that if (new commercial elements) are not excluded from the regulation, or if the objection to examination fails, that the NEA body firmly overcome these elements. dividers, inflammatory, tendentious and expensive (new commercial elements). “