NEA Sends Controversial Email Erasing Israel
On Friday, the National Education Association (NEA) sent an email to its 3 million members that featured a map omitting Israel, labeling the territory as Palestine.
The North American Values Institute noted that the email aimed to provide teachers with resources about “Indigenous peoples,” and contained maps plus materials that justified Hamas’ actions from October 7, along with links to the Jewish News Syndicate (JNS)—an organization accused of promoting terrorism.
Steve Rosenberg, the institute’s Philadelphia regional director, expressed his concern to JNS, stating, “It is deeply disturbing that the nation’s largest teachers’ union would use anti-Semitic metaphors to promote trafficking and justify the atrocities of October 7, rather than uplift an organization glorifying terrorism.”
Criticism also arose from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which pointed out on X (formerly Twitter) that it wasn’t just a mistake. “Did NEA forget something? This is not simply an oversight, but a shocking denial of both history and current reality,” they noted, emphasizing the need for educators to present facts rather than distort them.
After backlash, the union removed the contentious material from its resource site, but critics argue that this was done quietly. Rosenberg called for greater transparency, insisting that “the NEA owes educators, parents, and the public a full explanation and a sincere apology.”
While the most offensive content was taken down, the “Native Land Digital” map—which labels Israel as “Palestine” and claims Palestinians are the “indigenous people”—remains accessible. An NEA spokesperson attributed the issue to a third party and asserted that the union “has always stood against anti-Semitism.”
The spokesperson added, “After becoming aware of the content on this website, particularly regarding Israel and Palestine, we conducted our own in-depth investigation. Following that, we promptly removed it from the website.”
The ADL, which had a previous partnership with the NEA that ended last summer, criticized the union’s actions. They reiterated their stance that this incident reflects a serious disregard for historical and current realities.
