Rt. Hon. Robert Halfon MP
Chair of the Education Select Committee Rt. Hon. Robert Halfon MP challenged the leader of Britain’s biggest teaching union over concerns that the organisation has become a “hostile environment” for Jewish members”, at a hearing of the House of Commons Education Committee this week.
In a heated exchange with National Education Union (NEU) general secretary Kevin Courtney, Mr Halfon asked why the NEU had failed to adopt the IHRA definition of Antisemitism, and why a woman who had previously defaced the Warsaw Ghetto memorial had been asked to arrange antisemitism training for NEU members.
Ewa Jasiewicz had spray-painted the slogan “Free Gaza and Palestine” on the walls of the former Warsaw Ghetto in 2010. Courtney defended his decision to use Ewa Jasiewicz and said he was “proud” to have spoken at three pro-Palestinian demos during the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas.
On IHRA, Mr Halfon noted that the Antisemitism definition has been adopted by the British Government, all major political parties and anti-racism organisations. Mr Halfon asked: “Why does the NEU think it knows better and why do you as yet refuse to adopt the Definition, and why won’t you adopt it and use it as a starting point to address issues within your membership body?” Mr Halfon raised the issue of Jewish Free School teaching staff’s concerns over the NEU’s failure to condemn the actions of Hamas during the recent conflict with Israel.
The Harlow MP emphasised it was known that 100 Jewish teachers had left the NEU “over antisemitism – because of these concerns”.
The NEU leader replied that he has written to the members. Watch the 16-minute exchange in full here.
