A New Jersey highschool is accused of banning yellow ribbons, geared toward honoring Israeli hostages kidnapped by Hamas, at a membership honest, a transfer critics described as “deeply offensive” and “blatant antisemitism.”
Truthful Garden Excessive College additionally prohibited Israeli flags on the occasion, as a result of directors believed the flags had been too political, some mother and father and the group StopAntisemitism allege, noting that members of the Muslim Scholar Affiliation had been permitted to show a keffiyeh, a conventional headdress worn by males from components of the Center East, in response to the New York Submit.
The occasion, in response to the report, was partly selling a visit to Israel.
“What happened at Fair Lawn High School is an alarming case of hypocrisy and blatant antisemitism,” StopAntisemitism founder Liora Rez instructed the outlet. “This incident is nothing short of a direct violation of Jewish students’ rights to express their identity and humanitarian concerns.”
AMERICAN FATHER OF HAMAS HOSTAGE ITAY CHEN PUSHES US, ISRAEL ON ‘PLAN B’ AS NEGOTIATIONS FALTER
A flag of Israel with a yellow ribbon added is seen close to Frishman seashore on October 03, 2024, in Tel Aviv, Israel. (Getty Photos)
Between 33% to 40% of the 35,000 residents in Truthful Garden are Jewish. Truthful Garden in Bergen County is positioned about 17 miles from New York Metropolis.
This comes a yr after Hamas terrorists’ Oct. 7, 2023, assaults in opposition to Israel, which led to army retaliation from Israel and sparked a still-ongoing battle within the Center East. Greater than 250 individuals, together with some People, had been kidnapped by Hamas through the Oct. 7 assaults. Many hostages have since been launched, rescued or killed, whereas dozens are nonetheless held by Hamas.
One mum or dad mentioned the varsity district’s failure to handle complaints about alleged antisemitism just isn’t a brand new concern.
“The incident at Fair Lawn High School’s Club Fair is not an isolated event but part of a disturbing pattern of antisemitism that I and other parents have been battling for years,” Adi Vaxman, founder and president of Operation Israel, which offers humanitarian reduction to Israel, instructed the New York Submit.
“Despite numerous meetings with the board of education and the superintendent, promises of inclusion in anti-antisemitism efforts have gone unfulfilled,” added Vaxman, whose daughter Maya attends the varsity.
Vaxman continued: “The administrator’s claim that the yellow hostage ribbon — a humanitarian symbol calling for the release of innocent civilians abducted from their homes and held in subhuman conditions by Hamas — is ‘political’ is deeply offensive and unacceptable.”
A carry them residence necklace with a yellow ribbon pin throughout a tribute to the victims of the Oct. 7, 2023, assault on Israel by Hamas, on October 6, 2024. (Getty Photos)
Claiming a double customary, Vaxman mentioned that the black-and-white keffiyeh, which she says is “a symbol of the armed resistance against Israelis,” was allowed to stay on show on the membership occasion for hours.
“This glaring double standard exposes the bias of the school and the administrator in question,” she mentioned. “It’s alarming that the school supports the Muslim Student Association identifying as Palestinian while censoring the Israeli flag for the Jewish Student Union. Israel is the world’s only Jewish state, naturally associated with Judaism and relevant to the [Jewish Student Union’s] advertised trip to Israel.”
Truthful Garden Excessive Principal Paul Gorski launched an announcement defending the varsity’s response to ribbons and flags.
“We take pride in our Student Activities program as well as the leadership shown by both students and faculty,” Gorski wrote. “During this year’s event, both the Muslim Student Association and the Jewish Student Union were asked to adjust items that were not part of their original displays. Both groups received the same instruction and were treated equally.”
Gorski mentioned no college students had been disciplined in reference to their participation on the membership honest.
The Israeli flag with the yellow ribbon symbolizing solidarity with abductees within the camp arrange by the households of the abductees, close to Benjamin Netanyahu’s home, on August 13, 2024, in Jerusalem, Israel. (Getty Photos)
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The principal additionally mentioned the highschool participates within the Anti-Defamation League’s “No Place for Hate” initiative and that the varsity was “proudly recognized” with a Gold Star distinction from the group throughout a ceremony earlier this yr.
“We condemn antisemitism and remain steadfast in our commitment to creating an inclusive community where hate is not tolerated,” he mentioned. “When we return to school after being closed for the Jewish holidays, we will engage in dialogue with our students and community. Hate has no home at Fair Lawn High School.”
Vaxman, nevertheless, maintains that the varsity discriminated in opposition to Jewish college students through the membership honest.
“This selective application of rules further demonstrates the discriminatory treatment of Jewish students,” Vaxman mentioned. “The school’s response is extremely disappointing and fails to address these core issues. Their participation in the ‘No Place for Hate’ initiative rings hollow when Jewish students face such blatant discrimination and intimidation in their school on a regular basis. We demand concrete actions, not empty platitudes, to combat antisemitism and ensure true equality for ‘all’ students.”
