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Fifth of pupils harbour anti-Jewish prejudice 8 February 2024 • 29 Shvat 5784 • Issue No.1353 •
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Half of all teachers avoid talking about Gaza war and 8% of students attend anti-Israel rallies, poll finds
by Lee Harpin lee@jewishnews.co.uk @lmharpin
Teachers are struggling to deal with the impact of Israel’s war with Hamas in classrooms and the Gaza conflict is leading to an alarming rise in antisemitic behaviour from students, a new poll has revealed. Anti-racism charity HOPE Not Hate surveyed 4,646 secondary school teachers to find out how they were handling issues arising from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the classroom. While 52 percent of teachers said students are discussing the conflict in Israel and Gaza, a worrying 50 percent said they do not feel confident in addressing the issues arising among pupils about the conflict in the Middle East. The poll, conducted on 29 January via the platform Teacher Tapp, also showed antisemitic and Islamophobic views have surged among pupils in recent months. In London, 17 percent of said students were displaying behaviour which could be considered antisemitic when discussing the conflict, while 11 percent of teachers across all regions also confirmed anti-Jewish racism in pupils. Meanwhile, seven percent of teachers said
students were displaying behaviour which could be considered Islamophobic when discussing the current conflict. In response to the demonstrations taking place, both in support of the Palestinians and in support of Israel, just one percent of teachers said that students were joining public demonstrations in solidarity with the Jewish state. While eight percent said that students were joining demonstrations in solidarity with Palestinians. Responding to the poll, Dave Rich, director of policy at the Community Security Trust, said: “We have seen a worrying rise in antisemitic activity in schools since 7 October, much of it linked to the conflict, and it is vital that schools and teachers know how to recognise any antisemitic language and behaviour when it occurs and take appropriate action. “Schools should be places of learning where all children are treated equally and fairly, and it is important that discussions about this issue are managed in a balanced and sensitive way so that Jewish students do not feel isolated or targeted.” The revealing survey also confirmed that the Israel-Palestine conflict is a polarising issue that teachers are struggling to deal with in schools. Continued on page 6
BOUND TOGETHER BY LOVE Tied-up women covered in fake blood staged a ‘Rape Is Not Resistance’ demonstration outside BBC headquarters in central London this week, accusing the broadcaster of a lack of vocal support for 14 women among those still being held in Gaza. Full story, page 5
‘I EMBRACED THE COMMUNITY AND THEY EMBRACED ME’ Mike Freer insists he would not dilute his support for Israel and British Jews if he had his time as MP again – as he pledged not to abandon the community after deciding to quit politics at the next election, writes Justin Cohen. After 14 years as MP for Finchley and Golders Green, the justice minister announced last Thursday that
he would not seek re-election after facing years of threats, safety scares and an arson attack on his constituency office. Even this week, following the surprise announcement, a man was arrested over a “threatening and abusive phone call” to the MP’s office. And while he insisted it was hard to imagine that antisemitism and his pro-Israel stance have not con-
tributed to some incidents over the years, the former Barnet council leader told Jewish News: “More than 30 years ago I embraced the community and they embraced me. I wouldn’t change my approach.” Expressions of regret that Freer had felt compelled to stand down came from across the political divide, with the prime minister’s spokesman describing the abuse he had faced as
an assault on democracy. “My inbox has been flooded with messages of support,” Freer said. “I wonder if I made the right decision. It’s incredibly hard to walk away from a job you love. Have I allowed them to win? They’ve not silenced me but they’ve driven me out of a position of influence.” In his three decades of support for Continued on page 6