The largest teachers’ union in the United States allegedly sent an email to its approximately 3 million members featuring a controversial map that completely omitted Israel, instead designating the area as Palestine.
On Friday, the National Education Association distributed an email to its members, providing resources focused on “teaching about indigenous peoples,” which included this contentious map, as reported by the North American Values Institute to the Jewish News Syndicate.
Additionally, the email contained links to alarming materials that appeared to justify Hamas’ brutal attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, an assault that resulted in the deaths of 1,200 individuals and saw 250 others kidnapped, according to NAVI.
“It’s incredibly concerning that the largest educators’ union in the country would distribute materials that perpetuate antisemitic narratives and attempt to rationalize the events of October 7, while promoting groups that celebrate terrorism,” remarked Steven Rosenberg, the regional director of the institute in Philadelphia, to the outlet.
“At a minimum, this reflects a serious failure in the organization’s ability to meet its own standards of critical review and ethical responsibility. Such an oversight is unacceptable for any institution charged with the education of young minds.”
The email encouraged educators to utilize the “related sources” in their classrooms.
While the union, which comprises educators, students, parents, activists, and community members, has removed the objectionable content from its website, a “Native Land Digital” map still identifies Israel as “Palestine” and claims it is “indigenous” to the region.
A spokesperson for the NEA attributed the offensive content on the union’s website to a third party.
“We have become aware of an external resource linked on the NEA’s website, which has been utilized by numerous news outlets and organizations for years, that does not meet our standards,” the spokesperson stated to The Post, emphasizing that the union has always “opposed antisemitism.”
“After identifying the problematic content related to Israel and Palestine, we undertook a thorough review of the links to third-party hosted content. Following our review, we promptly removed it from the site.
“We unequivocally condemn the deeply offensive content linked on our website, and our team is working diligently to locate resources that align with our specific criteria and values. We have reached out to the hosting organization to communicate our serious concerns and encourage a comprehensive review.”
Rosenberg criticized the response, stating that “quietly” removing content lacks transparency and accountability—he urged the teachers’ union to provide a full explanation and issue a “genuine apology,” according to JNS.
The Anti-Defamation League—which severed ties with the NEA earlier this summer—also criticized the union’s actions.
“Did the NEA overlook something? The union distributed a resource to its members featuring a world map that erased Israel,” the ADL posted on X, along with an image showing Palestine superimposed over the territory of Israel.
“This is not merely an oversight; it is a striking act that disregards both historical and current realities. Educators should focus on imparting truths, not altering them.”
This incident occurred on the same day that a long-anticipated ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect as part of a peace agreement facilitated by President Trump.
