Teachers Plan to Inculcate Children with Anti Israel Propaganda

[Argus]

Is there any explanation for the OTF's apparent interest in anti-Israel activism? Is this a grassroots policy within the federation, or is it from somebody at the top with an axe to grind?

-k

What I learned, way back when, was to examine motivation as a guide to truth. Why is the OTF so anti-Israel, so emphatic about decrying Israel and Israelis, even to the extent of wanting to explicitly instill their own hatred by propagandizing in the classroom to essentially innocent children?

Israel is nowhere near the worst violator of human rights in the world. The situation there is not particularly dreadful as compared to many other areas. Compare it to Darfur, for example. We see no sign the OTF wants to boycott all Sudanese products, or companies which do business in Sudan. We see no desperate efforts to teach children about the ongoing genocide in Darfur. So why is the plight of the Palestinians of so much more concern than the plight of the people of Darfur? On what possible yardstick can both situations be examined, and these teachers decide that Palestine is far more worthy of concern? What makes the death of 1 Palestinian worth more than the death of 1000 Sudanese?

Is it that the hatred of Jews is becoming more and more fashionable among the left? We saw a similar sort of Jew hating motion passed recently by the Ontario Public Employees union.

Because the only thing which really sets Israel aside from most other situations of human rights violations is that the Israelis are Jews.

Or maybe these people behind the proposal don't care about Darfur because they're black? Maybe they think that Black people dying isn't any big deal.

In my opinion, people like this are essentially anti-semitic, and their hatred of Israel is based on their contempt for Jews.

And I have the same opinion with regard to most of the anti-Israeli people on this web site. However much they try to mask it, to pretend their hatred of Israel comes from some noble concern for human rights violations, at base, most of them just don't like Jews.

The remainder are simply idiots who are swayed by the fact the Israeli conflict is on their televisions so regularly. It therefore MUST be dreadfully important. And all that other stuff - well, they don't see it, so it can't be very bad. That's as complicated as their minds get.

I have nothing but contempt for all of them.

[scribblet]

The article never suggested teachers want to teach truth, merely that they teach that Jews are evil.

The problem in Toronto at least, is that the Board of Ed. is mainly left wing NDP, they would probably applaud an initiative to teach anti semitism, which, btw is on the rise.

http://www.sammcgill.com/hate.html check these pics out from a Montreal rally.

[madmax]

Israel is nowhere near the worst violator of human rights in the world. The situation there is not particularly dreadful as compared to many other areas. Compare it to Darfur, for example. We see no sign the OTF wants to boycott all Sudanese products, or companies which do business in Sudan. We see no desperate efforts to teach children about the ongoing genocide in Darfur. So why is the plight of the Palestinians of so much more concern than the plight of the people of Darfur?

Israel is held to a higher standard. Like the democracies in the west. Israelis treatment of the Palestinians, stands out as something that is difficult for western society to understand. Just like Segregation in the US and Apparthied in South Africa came to an end, so should this division of people based on ethnicity be overcome.

However, as we know Palestinians, have made progress. Their was a time when Golda Meir said, Palestinians didn't exist. So today, while they have no country or fixed borders, they do have the right to vote amongst themselves. This certainly didn't happen because of the Israeli government alone. It occurred through conflict, terrorism and reconcillitaion.

Darfur is a conflict with non democratic entity. An Islamic society, Other regions of tragedy are the results of failed states.

Non Democratic societies and failed states are more difficult for Westerners to become self righteous over because these are not how we look at ourselves.

When we see Israel, we are looking into the mirror of how we see our own society.

I would rather see a motion educating people on Human Rights abuse around the globe, and not single out a country because we hold it to a higher standard.

[stignasty]

The article never suggested teachers want to teach truth, merely that they teach that Jews are evil.

The misleading topic title said that teachers were planning to teach that. The article itself, despite some questionable language said that someone managed to get the issue on to the ballot and that the teachers were going to vote on it. The teachers subsequently rejected the motion. They rejected the motion - we should be praising them for making the right decision.

The entire thing was an exercise in teacher and union bashing. Granted they opened the door by putting the motion in front of the teachers in the first place, but those people who equate that with indoctrination with Jew hating are simply stirring the pot.

[madmax]

The article never suggested teachers want to teach truth, merely that they teach that Jews are evil.

Really? The Jewish instigator of the motion, wants to teach that Jews are evil? Or that the state of Israel is subject to human rights violations?

Why raise the roof to the nth degree, when clearly it is a short sighted motion of a Jewish activist.

[madmax]

The problem in Toronto at least, is that the Board of Ed. is mainly left wing NDP, they would probably applaud an initiative to teach anti semitism, which, btw is on the rise.

What a load of bollocks. You could insert Liberal, Conservative or Green into the above and it would be rubbish.

In linguistics and ethnology, Semitic (from the Biblical "Shem", Hebrew: שם, translated as "name", Arabic: سام) was first used to refer to a language family of largely Middle Eastern origin, now called the Semitic languages. This family includes the ancient and modern forms of Amharic, Arabic, Aramaic, Akkadian, Ge'ez, Hebrew, Maltese, Tigrinya, among others.

As language studies are interwoven with cultural studies, the term also came to describe the extended cultures and ethnicities, as well as the history of these varied peoples as associated by close geographic and linguistic distribution. The late 19th century term "anti-Semitism" came to be used in reference specifically to anti-Jewish sentiment, further complicating the understood meaning and boundaries of the term.

The party that taught anti-semitism were called the NAZIs.

There is no Canadian educational branch, government, or board that is going to Teach Anti Semitism.

We have anti hate laws.

No go spread your BS elsewhere.

[madmax]

The problem in Toronto at least, is that the Board of Ed. is mainly left wing NDP, they would probably applaud an initiative to teach anti semitism, which, btw is on the rise.

Maybe this guy would applaud the teaching of Anti Semitism

From 1978 to 1985, Day was assistant pastor and school administrator at the Bentley Christian Centre in Bentley, Alberta. His school taught the Accelerated Christian Education curriculum, which caused some controversy for its alleged anti-semitism. Defending the curriculum publicly led to increased political involvement.

Maybe this guy would applaud the teaching of Anti Semistism

Professionally, Zündel worked as a graphic artist and printer, on several occasions in the 1960s he was commissioned to illustrate covers for Maclean's Magazine. His views on Nazism and Jews were not well known in the 1960s and 1970s as he initially published his opinions under the pseudonym Christof Friedrich. At the time, he was also an organizer among immigrants for the Ralliement des créditistes, Quebec's Social Credit party. In 1968 he joined the Liberal Party of Canada and ran in that year's leadership convention under the name Ernest Zeundel[2]. He used the convention as a platform to allege that Canadian society was replete with anti-German attitudes. He dropped out of the contest prior to the voting, but not before delivering his campaign speech to the convention.

Just thought I would add a Liberal Leadership Candidate, and a Conservative Leadership Candidate.

Both with alleged and/or proven anti-semetic views.

We have hate laws, and the list of people whom say stupid anti semetic or anti jewish teachings are not sitting in one political party. People of bad intent lurk in all the parties based on other issues outside of their racist intent.

[scribblet]

[quot]

No go spread your BS elsewhere.

Ditto

[guyser]

The problem in Toronto at least, is that the Board of Ed. is mainly left wing NDP, they would probably applaud an initiative to teach anti semitism, which, btw is on the rise.

Not entirely wrong, the NDP and the B of Ed have very strong ties in this city. As for the teaching of anti-semitism, I will concur on your remarks. (but they sure do some strange things on the TO BofED)

[PolyNewbie]

Israel is a repeated violator of UN resolutions that pass. Most UN resolutions that get voted in then get vetoed by US, Britain, Canada & Australia. Every other country thinks Israel needs to be controlled.

Can Palistinians break the law against Israeli soldiers that are occupying their territory ?

How often do we hear about Israels violations of human rights on TV ? How often do we see them operating their checkpoints ? How many people know that Palistine cannot get a seaport because Israel holds that piece of land preventing them from getting their seaport ? How often does mainstream Zionist controlled media show Israelis plowing down Palistinian houses ? How many people know that Palistinians are restricted in the depth of their water wells where Israelis on the same but illegally occupied land are not restricted ?

Not many people know these things BECAUSE THEY DON"T READ. They watch corporate controlled mainstream media that is largely under Zionist control and do not get anything close to the truth.

To get to the truth you must hear both sides of the story but the TV only gives you one side.

[PolyNewbie]

Saying that Israel is doing something wrong is not anti semitic. If that were the case wouyld we just sanction anything Israel wanted to do ?

Suppose they started bombing Canada ? We would have people on this group saying that criticising them for doing so is anti simetic.

Many Israelis have been stepping up about the treatment of Palistinians. The web has enabled them to see the unfiltered trith of the occupation. I've seen videos of IDF soldiers shooting Israeli citizens for protesting the treatment of Palistinians. I have seen members of the IDF remark about how different the reported news in Israel is compared to the actual occurances on Palistinian lands.

[madmax]

The motion was defeated, thank goodness. I hope the union gets the message but I doubt it. IMHO the only reason it was defeated is because of the flak, I'd be interested in knowing the actual vote count.

So why didn' t you post that the origin of the motion was Jewish?

The fact that this was a subscription article, and you keep harping on the Union, tells me this is just a hatchet job on your part.

The motion was defeated because it was stupid.

[madmax]

Not entirely wrong, the NDP and the B of Ed have very strong ties in this city. As for the teaching of anti-semitism, I will concur on your remarks. (but they sure do some strange things on the TO BofED)

I do not disagree with your comments above. Just the radical hype I have read here, almost makes the strangeness of the BofED seem excusable.

[scribblet]

The motion was defeated, thank goodness. I hope the union gets the message but I doubt it. IMHO the only reason it was defeated is because of the flak, I'd be interested in knowing the actual vote count.

So why didn' t you post that the origin of the motion was Jewish?

The fact that this was a subscription article, and you keep harping on the Union, tells me this is just a hatchet job on your part.

The motion was defeated because it was stupid.

Get real, a hatchet job on what, my post is no different to the 'hatchet' jobs posted about Harper, or anything else for that matter. Just because you don't like something doesn't make it a 'hatchet job'.

I've no idea who made the actual motion, or if they were Jewish, the article doesn't say, all I know is it was put forward by the same union which planned a similarly biased motion -- expressing support for international boycott campaigns against Israel -- but this one was not simply symbolic, they wanted action.

[Argus]

The article never suggested teachers want to teach truth, merely that they teach that Jews are evil.

Really? The Jewish instigator of the motion, wants to teach that Jews are evil? Or that the state of Israel is subject to human rights violations?

Nobody hates Jews as much as those pathetic few Jews who bask in self-hatred. You see them at all the most popular anti-semitic gatherings. The Iranians even managed to get some to their The-Holocaust-Is-A-Myth conference in Tehran. Like most such, this person may have been born Jewish, but I doubt he goes to temple even as much as I go to Church.

Why raise the roof to the nth degree, when clearly it is a short sighted motion of a Jewish activist.

Interesting you neglect to mention the other sponsor is a Muslim.

[madmax]

Not many people know these things BECAUSE THEY DON"T READ. They watch corporate controlled mainstream media that is largely under Zionist control and do not get anything close to the truth.

To get to the truth you must hear both sides of the story but the TV only gives you one side.

Whoa, David Duke nearby? Zionist Controled media? There is a corporate media. There are many factors in that media. There is media in the US which often follows the government support of Israel which has remained tight with the country through many difficult times.

The votes in the United Nations don't mean anything when we address those that are pointing the fingers. Some of the biggest Human Rights violaters in the world. If there was a motion that said the world is flat and Israel committs war crimes, it would pass.

But that doesn't mean that there is not the broad coverage of the Palestinian situation in Canada. It is why people can neither understand nor empathize with Palestinians, be them Christian or Muslim.

But you want to spew this Zionist conspiracy crap.

Maybe you can talk with Scriblett.

Your thought processes have alot in common with the problems in Israel, regarding dialog and empathizing with one another.

You blame Zionist conspiracys

Scriblett blames unions

[madmax]

Interesting you neglect to mention the other sponsor is a Muslim.

The article was subscription. If someone else mentioned that the other sponsor was a muslim, so be it.

[Argus]

Israel is a repeated violator of UN resolutions that pass. Most UN resolutions that get voted in then get vetoed by US, Britain, Canada & Australia. Every other country thinks Israel needs to be controlled.

Sheer vapid ignorance. Every year the Muslim bloc brings about a dozen repeat resolutions before the general assembly and then the security council. They are basically the same resolutions, with a few verbs and phrases changed. They all condemn Israel absolutely and without hesitation for whatever. None mention any kind of context or provocation, or anything done against Israel, nor blame the Palestinians for anything. They all pass in the general assembly because the Muslim bloc is about 60 strong, and they can easily buy a few dozen votes from the third world - which doesn't give a damn, but can use the bribe money. And because many other nations, knowing they are meaningless, and wanting to curry favour with the oil sheiks, abstain. Until recently Canada was one of those which generally abstained, or even voted in favour. Now we vote against such one-sided resolutions.

They are, as I said, meaningless resolutions, which are, nonetheless, trumpeted by the ignorant as justification for their hate against Israel.

Can Palestinians break the law against Israeli soldiers that are occupying their territory ?

Uh, you mean like when they lure a teenage boy across the border and torture him to death in a cave, or when they lay in wait outside an old folks home and stab old people to death, or when they set off explosives in pizza shops in Jerusalem, or fire rockets into farming areas in Israel proper?

How often do we hear about Israels violations of human rights on TV ?

I used to say that one black man dying in Johannesburg was front page news. A thousand Black men dying in Nigeria didn't even make the paper. What was true of South Africa then is true of Israel now. The anti-semites scream and point at the slightest provocation, while completely ignoring far, far worse injustice and violence committed elsewhere.

How often do we see them operating their checkpoints ? How many people know that Palistine cannot get a seaport because Israel holds that piece of land preventing them from getting their seaport ?

Gee, you don't think that would be due to the unfortunate tendency of Palestinians to blow themselves up in the midst of Israeli pizza houses and on beaches, do you? It wouldn't have anything to do with terrorists tunneling under the border into Israel proper, or trying to fly over it in balloons and hang gliders, or use scuba gear to go out to sea and around the fences that way.. all to kill a few Jews - any Jews - would it? Possibly? D'ya think?

[geoffrey]

Interesting you neglect to mention the other sponsor is a Muslim.

The article was subscription. If someone else mentioned that the other sponsor was a muslim, so be it.

It actually shows a new spirit of cooperation!

[scribblet]

What exactly am I blaming unions for other than promoting anti Israel sentiment in the classrooms. This type of material was not to be opportunity for discussion of both sides of the issue, it was about bringing propaganda into the classroom. Definitely not the job of a union.

[madmax]

I've no idea who made the actual motion, or if they were Jewish, the article doesn't say,

Fair enough.

all I know is it was put forward by the same union which planned a similarly biased motion -- expressing support for international boycott campaigns against Israel -- but this one was not simply symbolic, they wanted action.

People can start a topic here, the topic could say "Boycott Uranus"

People can put forth a motion by submitting it.

As for the Boycott motion with regards to OSSTF. The two motions for and against were withdrawn.

TORONTO - In what could be the first skirmish in a dispute between Toronto teachers over the Middle East, a bargaining unit of the Ontario Secondary Schools Teachers Federation (OSSTF) withdrew two controversial – and opposing – motions shortly before the unit’s labour council was to discuss them last week.

The first motion would have expressed the support of the Secondary Teachers Bargaining Unit (STBU) for the international boycott campaign against Israel while the second called for that motion to be tabled until experts expressing the Israeli point of view were heard and the union’s membership could devise its own policy position on the Middle East.

Arron Eisen, a math teacher at A.Y. Jackson Secondary School, co-authored the second resolution along with his colleague Eric Walker.

[madmax]

Definitely not the job of a union.

Did it pass?

[guyser]

Gee, you don't think that would be due to the unfortunate tendency of Palestinians to blow themselves up in the midst of Israeli pizza houses and on beaches, do you? It wouldn't have anything to do with terrorists tunneling under the border into Israel proper, or trying to fly over it in balloons and hang gliders, or use scuba gear to go out to sea and around the fences that way.. all to kill a few Jews - any Jews - would it? Possibly? D'ya think?

While true that Palestinians are blowing up Israeli cafes and buses, the border checkpoints are a major source of frustration for working Palis to get into and out of Israel. The abuse heaped on women and children at checkpoints is pretty well established. Guards purposely delay people, forcing them to wait in the rain and cold while the guards finish their coffee. Watch the movie , I think it is called Borders. It showed a pretty disheartening scenario of abuse by checkpoint guards to innocent men women and children. Some border crossers travel through checkpoints many many times a day. The same guard that let them through mere moments ago, then deny access back home, forcing some of them to seek shelter elsewhere.

That type of treatment can only raise ire , fear and retribution. If allowed , for instance in the USA versus Muslims, it would create a storm of controversy.

That being said, anger , fear , myopism is fostered by the bombings and killings of Jews. They do have a right to protect themselves but how and where are matters left to people with better understanding than I.

As for the teachers plan , teaching balance can not be a bad thing.Teaching about Palestinians bombing Israel is misconstrued as Anti-Palestinian. Teaching about Israel plowing under Palestine is considered anti-Israeli. Sadly, both camps would have had a field day in the media with this.