Palestine in Schools: From the river to the sea
Introduction
With the siege on Gaza (October 2023), young people across the UK have witnessed the killing of thousands of Palestinians. Senior UN staff and human rights organisations have called this a collective punishment and therefore a war crime.
Thousands of young people are participating in actions to show solidarity with the Palestinian people, marching on the streets, attending school strikes, wearing Palestinian badges, keffiyehs and waving Palestinian flags.
Western media and structures of power have been pushing the narrative that Palestinian liberation is anti-semetic and we are seeing Black, brown and Muslim young people being increasingly censored, surveilled and punished for speaking up for Palestine.
Schools are meant to be places for learning, they have a duty of care with our children. But young people no longer feel safe expressing their grief and rage at the killing of Palestinians in schools. We created this resource for families that are concerned about how schools are dealing with the siege on Gaza.
The Need
Government guidance is creating further division in our communities by encouraging schools to use exclusions, suspensions, referrals to Prevent and other sanctions to discipline Black, brown and Muslim students who show solidarity with Palestine. A lack of knowledge on the history of Palestine is resulting in young people being punished and accused of being anti-semetic for chanting “From the river to the sea Palestine will be free”.
What We Did
We developed this resource to debunk the myth that the chant “From the river to the sea” is anti-semitic, and to provide advice for families on how to approach your school about the siege on Gaza and how it’s impacting your child. This resource was designed with people from the community, the collective Palestine in Schools, families, lawyers and teachers.
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