The largest teachers’ union in the United States recently sent an email to its members featuring a map that omitted Israel and labeled the region as “Palestine.” Along with this, the materials supported Hamas’s violent actions from October 7. The National Education Association (NEA) distributed content related to “Education about Indigenous Peoples” to its three million teachers, which included materials sourced from the Palestinian Youth Movement. This group has previously hosted speakers from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, categorized by the State Department as a terrorist organization.
This revelation was initially brought to light by Stop Antisemitism, an organization focused on combatting antisemitism and anti-Israel activism. The course materials also linked to the site Palestine Remembered, which contained claims that Jews in Europe are descendants of converts from the Khazar kingdom—an unfounded conspiracy theory that has been widely debunked.
Other content on Palestine Remembered has been criticized for praising Hitler, suggesting that his policies saved many Jews, and even questioning why he sought to “save the Jews” if he was dedicated to genocide. Such claims, while outrageous, reflect a troubling narrative currently circulating in some corners.
Despite the removal of certain controversial pages, the map itself—with Israel absent—remained in circulation, prompting Liora Rez of Stop Antisemitism to accuse the NEA of promoting antisemitic material.
There are also broader concerns being voiced, particularly from the North American Values Institute (NAVI), about the integrity of America’s largest teachers’ union. They argue that by distributing misleading materials, the NEA jeopardizes the trust of educators and the quality of education. NAVI’s Chief Strategy Officer called for regular audits of educational resources to maintain factual neutrality.
On the matter, the NEA did respond, stating their commitment to providing accurate resources and expressing regret for the oversight. They pledged to review and improve their materials after acknowledging the issues raised regarding the content relating to Israel and Palestine.
This situation isn’t entirely new for the NEA, which has been under scrutiny for accusations of antisemitism. For instance, in June, they circulated a handbook related to the Holocaust that notably omitted any mention of Jews among the twelve million victims. Following backlash, the handbook was revised, and tensions heightened when members voted to cut ties with the Anti-Defamation League over its support for Israel, a decision that the board ultimately rejected.
