A number of public school teachers in Oakland, California, have illegally scheduled a teach-in for Wednesday, December 6, during which they intend to offer classes that support the Palestinian cause.
Some Jewish organizations and parents have spoken out against the event and have demanded sanctions for participating educators. Last week, the school system stated its opposition to the event, as well.
Participants at the teach-in were activists from the Oakland Education Association, a local teachers' union. As the head of the union, Ismael Armendariz stressed that his organization had not reviewed the contents, as the New York Times reported.
The event's secret planners compiled a comprehensive list of recommended readings for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The Palestinians' "historic and unfolding oppression and genocide" is referenced in the text, which labels Israel as an "apartheid state."
The organizers' 40-year-old district parent, Nate Landry claimed that instructors saw the planned curriculum as a corrective to mainstream educational resources that promote Israel.
The proposed lesson plans include PBS and Vox documentaries about the political situation in the area, as well as musical performances, culinary creations, and Palestinian literary works. The curriculum will also denounce antisemitism.
Around one hundred educators were anticipated to take part, according to Landry and other initiative founders.
The Recommended Materials
Pro-Palestinian advocacy organizations provide a large portion of the suggested material.
"A group of bullies called Zionists wanted our land so they stole it by force and hurt many people," a Palestinian character says in an elementary school coloring book.
Additionally, it presents the idea that the territory comprising the Jewish state is rightfully owned by Palestinian refugees. "Handala has his family's old house key. Now, he needs your help to get back home to Palestine! Trace a way home for Handala," then there is a maze for the kids to solve.
One illustration in a book shows a youngster and an adult waving peace signs in front of a barbed-wire fence similar to the ones Israel has built along its borders with Gaza and the West Bank.
The extent to which Wednesday's lessons will cover the material is unclear. The curriculum was laid up in a way that allowed instructors to pick and choose from many resources.
Vocal Opposition to The Conflict
According to the New York Times, several of the nation's most outspoken condemnations of Israel and the war in Gaza have originated in Oakland and other progressive Bay Area communities. Protests and accusations of antisemitism have rocked the University of California, Berkeley campus since the 1990s when the organization Students for Justice in Palestine was established.
An amendment that would have condemned Hamas for their assaults on Israel on October 7 was rejected by the Oakland City Council last month, but the resolution itself requesting a cease-fire was adopted.
Along with being a co-sponsor of local demonstrations, the Oakland teachers' union has been outspoken in its support of Palestinian rights.
