Education union ‘saddened’ by exodus of Jewish members
NEU releases statement after at least 25 teachers from Europe's largest Jewish secondary, JFS, quit amid the union's stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
The National Education Union is “saddened” to hear Jewish members have resigned from the organisation in protest at its stance on Israel and antisemitism, a spokesperson has insisted.
Responding to reports of a mass exodus of Jewish members from the union over recent weeks after joint NEU leader Kevin Courtney spoke at several pro-Palestinian protests, the spokesperson said they were “appalled by the recent attacks on the Jewish community.”
Jewish News revealed this week how at least 25 NEU members at JFS school in north-west London had quit the union, citing its continued allegiance with the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, and a failure to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism.
There were similar scenarios at schools across the country, both Jewish and secular, with Jewish teachers and teaching staff resigned from the union in disgust.
“We are saddened to hear of Jewish members who have resigned from the NEU,” a spokesperson said.
“The NEU deplores all from of racism including antisemitism and Islamophobia.
“We are appalled by recent attacks on the Jewish community and will continue to stand in solidarity with all those facing racism and oppression.
“As members of the Trade Union Congress, Educational International and from decisions that are made at our own Annual Conference by members, our policy on the conflict is for there to be a just and long-lasting peace settlement between Israel and Palestine.
“The NEU values all our members and will be in touch with those members who tell us they are unhappy with our policy positions or feel they can no longer remain in the union because of our policies on Palestine to give a fuller explanation of our position. ”
Many of those leaving the NEU are believed to have joined the smaller BCSA Community union which has not taken such a pro-Palestinian stance, and has been more effective at dealing with claims of antisemitism.
Meanwhile the union also denied claims that comments made by Jewish members had deliberately been censored from its social media channels.
The spokesperson said:”The NEU has the biggest social media presence in the trade union movement and as such the sheer number of comments we receive means it has been necessary to automate responses to them including hiding comments.
“This is done through industry standard machine learning chatbox technology. Its use is clearly stated on our Facebook page and is fully in line with GDPR.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
