A subsidiary of the nation’s second-largest teachers' union will join the Democratic Socialists of America to protest Israel’s retaliatory strikes against Hamas terrorists.
The Movement of Rank and File Educators, which describes itself as a "caucus of the United Federation of Teachers," will cosponsor Friday’s "Ceasefire Now Rally for Gaza" in New York City. The presence of the group, which claims it "fights for social justice" and "empowers workers in schools," could cause problems for its parent organization. The Democratic Socialists of America’s last rally drew bipartisan denouncements after participants celebrated the terrorist attacks that killed over a thousand Israelis and at least 30 Americans.
#CeasefireNOW. RALLY FOR GAZA.
Bryant Park Library
Friday at 5PM pic.twitter.com/SfnmsSC5Vz— NYC-DSA 🌹 (@nycDSA) October 18, 2023
In a statement to the Washington Free Beacon, the Democratic Socialists of America said they had no regrets about the protest, during which one participant was photographed waving a picture of a Nazi flag.
The United Federation of Teachers did not respond to a request for comment and has only offered a tepid response to the worst domestic attacks on the Jewish state since its founding. An October 11 resolution from the union condemned Hamas but encouraged "open dialogue and respect for differing perspectives while emphasizing the importance of peaceful negotiations."
The Movement of Rank and File Educators encouraged teachers in a statement to "educate themselves and their communities about the history of the conflict" and linked to the far-left Teach Palestine Project’s website. Resources for educators on the group’s website include lesson plans on "comparing Palestine to the Americas" that state both Israel and the United States’ territories are illegitimate.
Other participants in Friday’s rally include the George Soros-funded Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow, two anti-Israel groups whose members infiltrated the United States Capitol Wednesday to accuse the Israeli government of perpetrating "genocide" in Gaza. The Crown Heights Tenants Union, a pro-Palestine group that believes "black liberation and Palestinian freedom are inextricably tied to one another," will also participate in the rally.
Teachers' unions have faced criticism in recent years for their outspoken support of left-wing policies. The American Federation of Teachers in July hosted a conference in Washington, D.C., to push for teachers to include progressive teachings on race and gender, as well as lessons on climate change, in curricula for students of all ages.
American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten called for a general strike in Israel after the nation’s parliament passed a law restricting the Supreme Court’s power earlier this year. In her comments, Weingarten called Israel’s government "right-wing" and "extreme."