TURIN – The Italian Jewry request: No ideology in the classroom

Say no to “partial and divisive” events about the war in Gaza and the Middle East conflict in schools. The Union of Italian Jewish Communities and the Jewish Community of Turin formally requested this of the Ministry of Education, the Piedmont Regional School Office, and the administration of the Turin-based Cavour High School. The request arose after a training course for public school teachers and staff was organized on the topic, “The Mirror of Gaza: Palestinian Culture and Us” on September 19. The course was organized by the School for Peace in Turin and Piedmont and the School and Society Association.
The UCEI and the Jewish Community of Turin emphasized that, although the course was presented as a “cultural insight,” it was “strongly unbalanced” and failed to provide an opportunity to discuss the extremely complex and sensitive issue. Instead, the event offered “an ideologically charged and one-sided narrative,” as evidenced by the presentation titles (“The West and the Permanent Enemy,” “Genocide,” and “Memory, Resistance, and Gender Oppression”) and the participation of speakers who are publicly known for their radical and divisive views, including former Ambassador Elena Basile and Omar Barghouti, founder of the BDS movement.

This approach “is incompatible with the principles of balance, pluralism, and educational rigor that should guide training activities within the school system.” There is a risk of transmitting a distorted image of the Middle East conflict and contributing to the spread of stereotypes, polarization, and tension in schools. Without an immediate suspension, the UCEI and the Turin community requested “appropriate corrective measures to restore balance, transparency, and educational responsibility to the course.”