Massachusetts teachers’ union backtracks after being exposed for promoting antisemitic materials 

A Massachusetts teachers’ union is playing belated defense after allegedly directing teachers to access antisemitic images and materials via its website.  

The Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) has said it will review and remove links it provided to teachers as recommended resources for teaching about the Israel-Hamas conflict, after teachers reported finding antisemitic imagery. 

Some of the offensive content included American dollar bills folded to resemble a Star of David, as well as imagery of Hamas fighters and text calling for intifada, or Palestinian violence, and posters of former President Joe Biden labeled a “serial killer” for his tenuous support of Israel. 

The discovery of the disturbing materials being promoted to public school teachers led to a hearing of the joint-chamber legislative Special Commission on Combating Antisemitism. During the hearing, legislators showed Max Page, MTA president, a variety of antisemitic materials pulled from the links MTA provided to its members and asked him to respond. 

“These are resources provided for our members to think about and learn about as educators and as citizens, and they were done thoughtfully and professionally. That does not mean one agrees with each one,” Page defended in the hearing. 

In response to further backlash about its promotion of antisemitism, however, the union is further walking back its actions, claiming it “does not promote materials that direct hate at any group” and would “remove any materials that do not further the cause of promoting understanding.” 

In a joint statement with MTA Vice President Deb McCarthy, Page accused legislators of manipulating the resources “so as to label the state’s largest union of educators as promoters of antisemitism,” calling the hearing, “one of the more deplorable displays witnessed at the State House.”  

Despite the union’s begrudging compliance, local Jewish leaders have welcomed MTA’s concessions as a positive step forward in combatting antisemitism in the state.  

“We are cautiously hopeful that the MTA will remove these resources and step back from its recent pattern of anti-Israel and anti-Jewish activity that risks polarizing and politicizing classrooms, and harming students across Massachusetts,” said Rob Leikind, regional director of the American Jewish Committee New England. 

The conflict between Israel and Hamas remains at the forefront of the news cycle as the two sides tentatively attempt to pursue peace talks amid hostage and prisoner releases.