The current conflict between Israel and Palestine has given everyone in the borough huge cause for concern. Some of those concerns are already becoming evident in schools and are creating issues for staff, pupils and their families.
Council messaging
The Leader of the Council set out the Council’s position in a letter to the Foreign Secretary on 18th May. Within that letter, the core messages from the letter are as follows
o Deeply concerned about ongoing violence in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories
o Know that residents share those concerns
o Deplore that Israeli air strikes and Hamas rocket attacks are killing many civilians, including Palestinian and Israeli children, and that as a result, millions of Israeli’s and Palestinians are living in fear
o As a community we believe any form of violence against civilians is reprehensible
o As a result, situation in Gaza has only worsened and so long-term blockade should be lifted to secure urgent humanitarian aid
o In line with international law, we are opposed to forced expulsion of Palestinian families in the area of Sheikh Jarrah
o UK should reaffirm commitment to peace with words and actions
o Israelis and Palestinians need a future which is safe and secure for all their peoples now and for future generations
School context
Our school is deeply concerned about the violence in Palestine and Israel and our thoughts are with all those who have been made to feel unsafe in the own homes and in their local communities. Our school is no place for hate or discrimination and we are united in supporting the rights of every pupil and their families to live without fear of any form of racism in our local community.
The topic is currently very emotional, we do not plan on discussing this in class unless children ask questions. Please be assured that any inappropriate point of view will be tackled with a proportionate response. We continue to strive to educate children to be tolerant and respectful of others, to follow our school rules and adopt the school values.
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