The Media Line: Canadian Jewish Advocacy Organization Presses Ontario To Block Teachers’ Union Over ‘Anti-Palestinian Racism’ Motion 

Audio By Carbonatix

Enlarge

Canadian Jewish Advocacy Organization Presses Ontario To Block Teachers’ Union Over ‘Anti-Palestinian Racism’ Motion 

By The Media Line Staff 

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) is urging the Ontario government to intervene after the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) passed a motion committing to develop resources on “Anti-Palestinian Racism” (APR). The motion, adopted at ETFO’s Annual General Meeting on August 12, has sparked criticism from Jewish groups who argue it exceeds the union’s mandate and risks fueling division in schools. 

CIJA, the advocacy organization representing Jewish Federations across Canada, said the union’s move oversteps its authority and threatens to mischaracterize Jewish identity in Ontario’s classrooms. In an August 19 letter to Education Minister Paul Calandra and Labour Minister David Piccini, CIJA argued that ETFO has no authority to create curriculum or teaching materials, a responsibility reserved for the Ministry of Education. “ETFO has no authority to develop or mandate educational materials,” the letter stated. 

The organization also warned that the way APR is framed could blur the line between legitimate debate about Israel and actual prejudice. CIJA said this approach has, in some cases, labeled expressions of Jewish identity or support for Israel as discriminatory. 

“By adopting APR in this form, ETFO risks legitimizing a framework that marginalizes Jewish voices, undermines the safety of Jewish students, and deepens divisions in already tense school environments,” CIJA wrote. 

Josh Landau, CIJA’s director of government relations in Ontario, added that the policy direction is especially troubling in light of a recent federal report documenting rising antisemitism in Ontario’s schools. “It is unacceptable that the ETFO chose to reinforce those very concerns by passing a motion at their conference promoting the concept of ‘Anti-Palestinian Racism,’” he said. 

Landau stressed that CIJA supports protections against discrimination for all communities, including Arab and Muslim Canadians. But he said the definitions promoted under APR go “well beyond the scope of the Ontario Human Rights Code,” which already prohibits discrimination based on race, ethnicity, and creed. 

CIJA called on the provincial government to affirm publicly that only the Ministry of Education determines curriculum, clarify that concepts inconsistent with the Human Rights Code should not be introduced into classrooms, and encourage ETFO to focus on fostering inclusive school environments without adopting frameworks that could infringe on the rights of others. 

The Ontario Human Rights Code already guarantees protections for all Ontarians, including Palestinian Canadians. CIJA argues that introducing new categories outside its scope could destabilize the framework and risk undermining its integrity. 

Canadian Jewish Advocacy Organization Presses Ontario To Block Teachers’ Union Over ‘Anti-Palestinian Racism’ Motion 

By The Media Line Staff 

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) is urging the Ontario government to intervene after the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) passed a motion committing to develop resources on “Anti-Palestinian Racism” (APR). The motion, adopted at ETFO’s Annual General Meeting on August 12, has sparked criticism from Jewish groups who argue it exceeds the union’s mandate and risks fueling division in schools. 

CIJA, the advocacy organization representing Jewish Federations across Canada, said the union’s move oversteps its authority and threatens to mischaracterize Jewish identity in Ontario’s classrooms. In an August 19 letter to Education Minister Paul Calandra and Labour Minister David Piccini, CIJA argued that ETFO has no authority to create curriculum or teaching materials, a responsibility reserved for the Ministry of Education. “ETFO has no authority to develop or mandate educational materials,” the letter stated. 

The organization also warned that the way APR is framed could blur the line between legitimate debate about Israel and actual prejudice. CIJA said this approach has, in some cases, labeled expressions of Jewish identity or support for Israel as discriminatory. 

“By adopting APR in this form, ETFO risks legitimizing a framework that marginalizes Jewish voices, undermines the safety of Jewish students, and deepens divisions in already tense school environments,” CIJA wrote. 

Josh Landau, CIJA’s director of government relations in Ontario, added that the policy direction is especially troubling in light of a recent federal report documenting rising antisemitism in Ontario’s schools. “It is unacceptable that the ETFO chose to reinforce those very concerns by passing a motion at their conference promoting the concept of ‘Anti-Palestinian Racism,’” he said. 

Landau stressed that CIJA supports protections against discrimination for all communities, including Arab and Muslim Canadians. But he said the definitions promoted under APR go “well beyond the scope of the Ontario Human Rights Code,” which already prohibits discrimination based on race, ethnicity, and creed. 

CIJA called on the provincial government to affirm publicly that only the Ministry of Education determines curriculum, clarify that concepts inconsistent with the Human Rights Code should not be introduced into classrooms, and encourage ETFO to focus on fostering inclusive school environments without adopting frameworks that could infringe on the rights of others. 

The Ontario Human Rights Code already guarantees protections for all Ontarians, including Palestinian Canadians. CIJA argues that introducing new categories outside its scope could destabilize the framework and risk undermining its integrity.