DayofPal— A major controversy has erupted in the United States after the National Education Association (NEA), the largest teachers’ union in the country, sent an email to nearly 3 million members containing the map of Palestine.
The email labels the entire area of historic Palestine as “Palestine” with no reference to the State of Israel.
The email, sent on Friday as part of an educational campaign highlighting “Indigenous Peoples,” included resources meant for classroom use.
However, one map in particular drew backlash from pro-Israel organizations and Jewish advocacy groups, who accused the NEA of promoting anti-Semitic content and attempting to erase Israel’s existence.
According to reports by the Jewish News Syndicate, the controversial map was sourced from a third-party site describing Palestine as “Indigenous land.”
Critics said the content appeared to support and justify Al-Aqsa flood operation on Israel.
Facing mounting criticism, the NEA quickly removed some of the materials from its website. A spokesperson for the union stated that the problematic content came from an external source and “did not meet our standards.”
The union stressed that it opposes anti-Semitism and is now conducting a full review of all external links and resources.
“We found that one of the third-party resources linked through our website did not meet our standards and was removed immediately upon review,” said the NEA spokesperson in comments to the New York Post.
Steven Rosenberg, a regional director at the North American Institute for Values, called for a public apology and accountability. He said that simply removing the content without an official explanation is not transparent and reflects a failure in professional responsibility.
Despite the removal of some materials, the original “digital Indigenous lands map” still displays the entire region as Palestine, fueling further outrage from pro-Israel groups. These organizations are now demanding that the NEA issue a formal correction and clarify its position on the matter.
The incident comes at a time of heightened sensitivity surrounding discourse on Israel and Palestine in U.S. institutions, particularly in the wake of ongoing war and growing political divisions domestically.
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