American Teachers' Union Votes to Cut Ties with Anti-Defamation League Over Israel

SadaNews - The largest teachers' union in the United States voted to end its partnership with the "Anti-Defamation League (ADL)", citing concerns about the group's completely biased stance towards Israel and its approach to defining anti-Semitism.

The decision was passed last Sunday at the National Education Association (NEA) representative assembly in Portland, Oregon, by a majority of its 7,000 delegates. The resolution states that the National Education Association "will not use or endorse or disseminate materials from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), such as its educational materials or statistics," and "will not participate in ADL programs or disseminate professional development offerings it provides."

Proponents of the NEA resolution argued that the organization has used accusations of anti-Semitism to target critics of Israel and advocates for Palestinian rights. Delegates expressed concerns about what they described as the Anti-Defamation League's distortion of educational materials and political discourse, along with its involvement in efforts to influence school and university policies.

This measure was introduced by NEA factions that sought to include a broader perspective on the Middle East and North Africa in the curriculum. In recent years, new factions have organized themselves to include terms such as Nakba and Palestinian history in the union's racial and social justice program.

The National Education Association described this action as a "boycott," which requires further procedural steps. However, since it is considered a "penalty item," the action is automatically referred to the executive committee of the National Education Association.

A spokesperson for the union said, "The formal action on the proposal is adopted and referred to the committee." The union reaffirmed its commitment to addressing anti-Semitism, racism, and all forms of bigotry in schools.

The ADL has worked in schools for decades, promoting anti-bias education and Holocaust awareness through programs like "No Place for Hate." According to its website, over 1.7 million students and 190,000 teachers participated in more than 2,000 schools last year.

Furthermore, the ADL, which is essentially one of the faces of the Zionist lobby in the United States, participates in managing the "Echoes and Reflections" initiative, an educational program on the Holocaust, in collaboration with the USC Shoah Foundation and Yad Vashem, and leads the "World of Differences" institute, which trains students and teachers to confront bias and discrimination.

A spokesperson for the Anti-Defamation League described the decision as "extremely troubling" and an attempt to "further isolate their Jewish colleagues and impose a radical and anti-Semitic agenda on students." The spokesperson stated that the resolution acts as a scapegoat, adding that the ADL "will not retreat from its support for Israel" and will not be deterred from reaching students by its programs.

The National Education Association emphasized in a statement that it will continue to "educate and organize against anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim bigotry, and all forms of hate and discrimination." It added that the union "will not hesitate to address difficult or controversial issues" affecting members, students, or schools.

This is the latest rupture between teachers and the Anti-Defamation League over Israel's genocidal war on Gaza. In December 2024, the ADL condemned remarks made at a national conference on diversity in private schools after speakers described Israel's actions in Gaza as genocide and referred to its founding as a racist endeavor. The group joined other Jewish organizations in criticizing what it described as a "toxic atmosphere" that made some Jewish students feel unsafe.

The ADL faced intense criticism for issuing "report cards" evaluating universities based on their responses to solidarity protest camps for Gaza, an attempt that critics say aims to pressure schools to suppress pro-Palestine activism.

Moreover, the Anti-Defamation League has significantly contributed to discrediting students who protested against Israel's genocidal war, demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and promoted the notion that slogans calling for "freedom for Palestine" are inherently anti-Semitic.

The resolution cited a case involving the Massachusetts Teachers Association, which faced accusations of anti-Semitism and anti-Israel sentiments after developing internal educational resources on Palestine. After ADL publicly criticized these materials, the leadership of the Massachusetts Teachers Association stated that it faced severe backlash, including defamation, threats, and legislative scrutiny.

The resolution also referenced previous disputes between the ADL and the National Education Association, including a 1982 dispute in which the ADL opposed a curriculum that criticized white supremacy, backed by the NEA, for being excessively critical of the U.S. government.