The Massachusetts Teachers Association is under fire from teachers in the state and Jewish organizations after its board of directors voted in favor of a motion accusing the United States of helping Israel with genocide.
A smaller teachers union in the state, the Newton Teachers Association (NTA), distanced itself Tuesday from the actions taken by the Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA), which represents more than 100,000 educators in the state. It said the motion passed by the MTA’s board of directors was an example of “antisemitic dog-whistling” and said that it could lead to more Jew-hatred.
“Some will defend this motion, and deny that to accuse Israel of engaging in a ‘genocidal war on the Palestinian people’ will provoke further antisemitism, or deny that the very use of the word ‘genocide’ to characterize the actions of a people who experienced the Holocaust is callous,” NTA’s statement said.
“However, the motion approved by the MTA Board will provoke further antisemitism, and it is callous,” it added, demanding that the MTA retract the motion that called for a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the American government’s “complicity.”
“As an educators’ union, we must take a stand with our union siblings, and promote peace and justice in the region by calling for an end to our government’s complicity with Israel’s genocidal assault on the people of Gaza and intent to take over their territory,” the MTA statement reads.
The Massachusetts Teachers Association board of directors voted on a statement accusing the U.S. government of being complicit in genocide in Gaza.
“How many deaths, how many more children must die, before we take a stand? Silence is complicity,” the MTA statement adds.
The union is also facing criticism from Jewish groups in the state. The CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of greater Boston (JCRC) called it “irresponsible” to have ceasefire resolutions that do not “also include an explicit and unconditional condemnation of the Hamas terrorist attack.”
“Any such resolution that does not demand a return of the hostages or call for removal of Hamas as a terrorist organization fails to address the reality of the war and further ensures violence without a path for peace,” Jeremy Burton told The Daily Wire. “The MTA’s ceasefire resolution does not address any of these realities. We expect better from our educational partners.”
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NTA, which operates under the umbrella of the MTA, also criticized MTA for not including mention of Hamas.
“The motion and rationale approved by the MTA Board captures how the tragedy impacts many innocent Palestinians in Gaza,” NTA’s statement says. “But the statement fails completely to hold in mind the atrocities against Israelis on October 7, the complexity of the situation, and the trauma, pain, and fallout the Israeli, American, and international Jewish communities are experiencing.”
Newton, a Boston suburb, is considered one of the most Jewish cities in the United States, with Jews making up between 20-30% of the population, according to Forward.
Andrea Levin, the executive director of the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (CAMERA) called MTA’s statement “unconscionable” for accusing Israel of genocide.
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“There is no ‘genocide’ underway, but a defensive war by Israel to counter Hamas, which initiated the conflict by invading Israel and slaughtering more than 1000 innocent lives,” Levin said, adding that accusing Israel of genocide is a strategy aimed to “manipulate global opinion against Israel as it endeavors to eliminate terrorist threats.”
“Will these same educators, who have supported the defamatory accusation of ‘genocide’ and who overlook the suffering of Israelis, propagate these views in the classroom?” Levin questioned. “Parents rightfully need assurance that advocates of the MTA’s defamatory statement will refrain from disseminating false claims and inciting hostility towards Israel and Jewish students.”
The MTA did not respond to a request for comment.