London Teacher Accused of Blaming Jews for October 7th Attack
Translated & summarized from Behadrei Haredim by baba
A nine-year-old Jewish boy in North London was allegedly told by his teacher that Jews were responsible for the October 7th Hamas attack. The boy's father reported the incident, which he felt justified Hamas and portrayed terrorists as freedom fighters. The father's requests for staff training and other actions were rejected by the school. This follows a previous incident of antisemitism, leading the family to transfer the child to a Jewish school. British Jewish organizations are calling for the implementation of a report on antisemitism in schools.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- A London teacher allegedly told a nine-year-old Jewish student that Jews were responsible for the October 7th attack.
- The boy's father reported the teacher's comments, which he interpreted as justifying Hamas and portraying terrorists as freedom fighters.
- The school administration rejected the father's requests for antisemitism training and other actions.
- The family is transferring the child to a Jewish school due to this and a prior antisemitic incident.
- British Jewish organizations are demanding action on a report concerning antisemitism in educational institutions.
A nine-year-old Jewish student in a North London state primary school experienced antisemitism from his teacher after discussing the Hamas attack at the Nova festival with his father. The teacher reportedly responded to the boy's account by saying, "Actually, it's the opposite." The father interpreted this to mean the teacher implied Jews attacked Palestinians, justifying Hamas's actions and portraying the terrorists as "freedom fighters," according to the Jewish Chronicle. The father approached the deputy headteacher, requesting antisemitism training for staff and suggesting the teacher visit the Nova exhibition in London. The school administration rejected these requests, stating that "politics cannot be imposed on staff." Further attempts to engage the headteacher were met with claims of her non-involvement. This incident follows a previous one where, a year prior, the same student was subjected to severe insults and chants of "Free Palestine" by classmates after praising an Israeli representative in a singing competition. Due to these incidents and the school's lack of action, the family decided to transfer the child to a Jewish school for the upcoming academic year (2026). The father, originally from France, drew a parallel to his own family's history, noting that his grandfather had to remove his mother from school in France under Vichy rule in 1940 due to antisemitism. He expressed pain at having to take a similar step in England in 2026 for the same reasons. The incident has caused an uproar among British Jewish organizations. The Jewish Leadership Council (JLC) and the Community Security Trust (CST) have called for the urgent publication and implementation of Sir David Bell's report on antisemitism in educational institutions. The CST stated that teachers should educate, not introduce extremist views into classrooms, and urged parents to report similar incidents to the police and the organization.
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