Commenting on the passing of an urgent motion at the Annual Conference of the National Education Union, Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
"The discussion about the rights of the Palestinian people today comes in response to the Israeli Government’s decisions to expand the settlements and the increase in deaths of Palestinian people, with 230 lives lost since the start of 2023. The number of Palestinian deaths is the highest since 2005.
“The NEU recommits to working with teacher trade unionists in Palestine, and to supporting the right of Palestinian children to safety and to education. The Union believes the Government should uphold the rights of the Palestinian people, as required by international law.
"The International Criminal Court is examining acts carried out by the Israeli military and the Union is seeking to raise awareness of the destruction of homes and schools and the intolerable conditions created by the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza.
"The Union places great importance on being clear on how to assert the rights of the Palestinians using values, principles and language which are not antisemitic. It is essential that the actions and the national decisions of the Israeli Government are challenged in ways which never draw on antisemitic tropes or anti-Jewish prejudice. The Union recommits itself today to working to raise awareness and tackle different forms of racism, including Islamophobia and antisemitism.
"Racism manifests in different ways but people can come together to learn about the historic roots to racism, including antisemitism, in order to understand contemporary forms of prejudice."