Jewish Educators Refuse to Sign Anti-Israel Statement in Italy
Translated & summarized from Behadrei Haredim by baba
A professional tour for North American and Israeli educators in Reggio Emilia, Italy, was canceled by the American contingent due to demands to sign a declaration condemning Israel's actions in Gaza and distancing from Netanyahu's government. Local parents and a labor union protested the visit, leading to personal scrutiny of participants. While the American group cited the need for a calm environment, 25 Israeli educators proceeded with the tour.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- American educators canceled a tour in Italy after being asked to sign a statement denouncing Israel's actions in Gaza.
- The hosts also demanded Jewish educators explicitly disavow the policies of Prime Minister Netanyahu's government.
- Local parents and a labor union protested the visit, leading to personal scrutiny of participants' social media.
- A group of 25 Israeli educators proceeded with the tour despite the controversy.
- The host organization's president confirmed a "charter of values" condemning war and genocide will be presented to future groups.
A professional tour for educators from North America and Israel to northern Italy became a site of political conflict over the war in Gaza. Approximately 100 participants were scheduled to visit Reggio Emilia to learn about local early childhood education methods, an initiative by the Paradigm Project network. However, before their departure, the hosts presented an unusual demand: participants had to sign a declaration disavowing the "occupation of Gaza and the violation of the rights of children and people in the occupied territories, as well as anywhere else in the world." The group of Jewish educators was additionally required to explicitly distance themselves from the policies of the Netanyahu government.
According to the Jewish Insider, this ultimatum followed local pressure. Parents associated with the host organization "Reggio Children" and a branch of an Italian labor union demanded the cancellation of the visit, claiming that some participating institutions support the IDF. Last Tuesday, about 100 people demonstrated outside the city's educational center with signs reading "Remove Zionism from Schools."
The pressure also included personal scrutiny. Dr. Pasha Kaltanik, director of a Jewish school in New York, reported that teachers' names were exposed and their social media accounts were scanned for evidence of support for Israel, such as photos with the country's flag. The debate also extended to the local political arena, with the city council rejecting proposals for discussion on the matter after opposition from Democratic Party members.
The president of the host organization confirmed she formulated a "charter of values" that includes condemnation of the war and genocide, which will now be presented to every visiting group. The mayor, Marco Massari, supported the decision to host the visitors, stating that receiving guests also means acknowledging their right to be different. Due to the hostile atmosphere and political demands, the American network announced it would not send its personnel, citing the need for an open and calm learning environment, which they stated was currently absent.
Conversely, a group of 25 educators from Israel chose to proceed with the tour as planned. It remains unclear whether the Israeli group signed the controversial declaration or how they will resolve the crisis with the hosts.
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