Classroom materials produced by Scotland’s largest teachers’ union, the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), are under fire for their hostile portrayals of Israel, a Jewish Chronicle investigation has revealed.
One EIS resource contrasts images of suffering Palestinians with idyllic depictions of Israeli life, such as farmers harvesting Jaffa oranges. The text casts Palestinian children as innocent victims of Israeli military actions, while Israeli children are described as privileged but living in fear of violence.
Additionally, a non-EIS resource endorsed by a Scottish local authority accuses Israel of operating an "apartheid and settler colonial regime" and committing “genocide,” while dismissing antisemitism as merely a “European phenomenon.”
These educational materials coincide with reports of increasing antisemitic bullying against Jewish students in Scotland, often tied to perceptions of their connection to Israel. Parents report incidents including an eight-year-old boy being called "evil," accused of "stealing land," and physically attacked following a classroom discussion on the Israel-Palestine conflict. Others have faced swastikas, Hitler salutes, and relentless verbal abuse.
While there is no direct evidence linking the teaching materials to these incidents, distraught families have taken drastic steps, with some moving their children to different schools or considering emigration to Israel.