International Courant
A New Jersey highschool is accused of banning yellow ribbons, geared toward honoring Israeli hostages kidnapped by Hamas, at a membership honest, a transfer critics described as “deeply offensive” and “blatant antisemitism.”
Truthful Garden Excessive Faculty additionally prohibited Israeli flags on the occasion, as a result of directors believed the flags had been too political, some dad and mom and the group StopAntisemitism allege, noting that members of the Muslim Pupil Affiliation had been permitted to show a keffiyeh, a standard headdress worn by males from components of the Center East, in keeping with the New York Put up.
The occasion, in keeping with the report, was partly selling a visit to Israel.
“What occurred at Truthful Garden Excessive Faculty is an alarming case of hypocrisy and blatant antisemitism,” StopAntisemitism founder Liora Rez instructed the outlet. “This incident is nothing wanting a direct violation of Jewish college students’ rights to specific their id and humanitarian considerations.”
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A flag of Israel with a yellow ribbon added is seen close to Frishman seaside on October 03, 2024, in Tel Aviv, Israel. (Getty Pictures)
Between 33% to 40% of the 35,000 residents in Truthful Garden are Jewish. Truthful Garden in Bergen County is situated about 17 miles from New York Metropolis.
This comes a yr after Hamas terrorists’ Oct. 7, 2023, assaults towards Israel, which led to army retaliation from Israel and sparked a still-ongoing conflict within the Center East. Greater than 250 folks, together with some Individuals, had been kidnapped by Hamas through the Oct. 7 assaults. Many hostages have since been launched, rescued or killed, whereas dozens are nonetheless held by Hamas.
One father or mother mentioned the college district’s failure to handle complaints about alleged antisemitism isn’t a brand new concern.
“The incident at Truthful Garden Excessive Faculty’s Membership Truthful isn’t an remoted occasion however a part of a disturbing sample of antisemitism that I and different dad and mom have been battling for years,” Adi Vaxman, founder and president of Operation Israel, which offers humanitarian aid to Israel, instructed the New York Put up.
“Regardless of quite a few conferences with the board of training and the superintendent, guarantees of inclusion in anti-antisemitism efforts have gone unfulfilled,” added Vaxman, whose daughter Maya attends the college.
Vaxman continued: “The administrator’s declare that the yellow hostage ribbon — a humanitarian image calling for the discharge of harmless civilians kidnapped from their houses and held in subhuman situations by Hamas — is ‘political’ is deeply offensive and unacceptable.”
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A convey them house necklace with a yellow ribbon pin throughout a tribute to the victims of the Oct. 7, 2023, assault on Israel by Hamas, on October 6, 2024. (Getty Pictures)
Claiming a double normal, Vaxman mentioned that the black-and-white keffiyeh, which she says is “an emblem of the armed resistance towards Israelis,” was allowed to stay on show on the membership occasion for hours.
“This obvious double normal exposes the bias of the college and the administrator in query,” she mentioned. “It is alarming that the college helps the Muslim Pupil Affiliation figuring out as Palestinian whereas censoring the Israeli flag for the Jewish Pupil Union. Israel is the world’s solely Jewish state, naturally related to Judaism and related to the [Jewish Student Union’s] marketed journey to Israel.”
Truthful Garden Excessive Principal Paul Gorski launched an announcement defending the college’s response to ribbons and flags.
“We take pleasure in our Pupil Actions program in addition to the management proven by each college students and school,” Gorski wrote. “Throughout this yr’s occasion, each the Muslim Pupil Affiliation and the Jewish Pupil Union had been requested to regulate gadgets that weren’t a part of their unique shows. Each teams acquired the identical instruction and had been handled equally.”
Gorski mentioned no college students had been disciplined in reference to their participation on the membership honest.
The Israeli flag with the yellow ribbon symbolizing solidarity with abductees within the camp arrange by the households of the abductees, close to Benjamin Netanyahu’s home, on August 13, 2024, in Jerusalem, Israel. (Getty Pictures)
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The principal additionally mentioned the highschool participates within the Anti-Defamation League’s “No Place for Hate” initiative and that the college was “proudly acknowledged” with a Gold Star distinction from the group throughout a ceremony earlier this yr.
“We condemn antisemitism and stay steadfast in our dedication to creating an inclusive neighborhood the place hate isn’t tolerated,” he mentioned. “After we return to highschool after being closed for the Jewish holidays, we are going to interact in dialogue with our college students and neighborhood. Hate has no house at Truthful Garden Excessive Faculty.”
Vaxman, nevertheless, maintains that the college discriminated towards Jewish college students through the membership honest.
“This selective utility of guidelines additional demonstrates the discriminatory remedy of Jewish college students,” Vaxman mentioned. “The varsity’s response is extraordinarily disappointing and fails to handle these core points. Their participation within the ‘No Place for Hate’ initiative rings hole when Jewish college students face such blatant discrimination and intimidation of their faculty frequently. We demand concrete actions, not empty platitudes, to fight antisemitism and guarantee true equality for ‘all’ college students.”
New Jersey highschool allegedly banned yellow ribbons honoring Israeli hostages: ‘Deeply offensive’
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