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Students plan anti-Semitic walkout on October 7, Issaquah SD remains silent

Posted on by angelo
Students plan anti-Semitic walkout on October 7, Issaquah SD remains silent

In a grotesque and senseless display of blatant hatred toward Jews, Issaquah Student League students plan a so-called “walk out to Palestine” on October 7, the one-year anniversary of the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel . The unsanctioned event is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. at Issaquah High School and neither the school nor the district appear willing to condemn the event or show support for their Jewish families.

Digital flyers promoting the event, a reaction to what these students call “365 Days of Genocide,” explain that the goal of the march is to remind Washingtonians of the “atrocities” the students believe are being committed by the Israeli and American governments.

“We must not remain silent while the genocide continues… your silence is violence!” » we read on the leaflet.

This manifestation of hatred must not be dismissed; this should be condemned in the strongest possible terms – the same way the Issaquah School District would respond if these children were protesting in Ku Klux Klan robes and hoods. Terrorist sympathizers, even if they are 16 or 17 years old, do not deserve a pass.

Issaquah High School has an anti-Semitism problem

These Issaquah students, marching as if they were fighting a noble cause, are peddling the same propaganda as Hamas loyalists, because these students are, in fact, Hamas loyalists.

Calling Israel and the United States genocidal powers is beyond absurd. It’s downright inflammatory and an insult to the victims of real genocides – perhaps Issaquah High School should re-initiate more in-depth courses on the Holocaust. The fact that high school students are pushing this hateful rhetoric is alarming enough, but what’s worse is that they probably think they are on the “right side of history.”

It’s tempting to dismiss their behavior as youthful naivety – after all, children are susceptible to propaganda. But that doesn’t give them carte blanche to spew such vile, anti-Semitic bullshit. If they’re old enough to protest, they’re old enough to know better. They choose to march against Israel on the very anniversary of the rape, kidnapping and massacre of the Jews.

Ignorance is no excuse for these students. The school and district had a moral obligation to speak out immediately. Instead, it’s fair to wonder if they will handle this situation better than the last time a hate rally was planned. A district spokesperson sent me an April email explaining to parents that “students have the right under the First Amendment to peacefully assemble and express themselves,” while warning that students Hate speech (which is not a legal term) will not be tolerated. This is hard to believe given that the entire event came from a place of hatred. A spokesperson said the school plans to send an email to parents today. We did not receive a copy by publication.

Why wouldn’t the district even offer a similar email — the bare minimum — for an intentionally planned walkout on the anniversary of a terrorist attack against Jews? The Israeli response to the attack did not occur until October 8. The students, however, chose October 7 for their event.

What happened to the Issaquah School District’s commitment to inclusion and tolerance?

The Student League of Issaquah isn’t even an official club, but district and school staff still refuse to condemn because they don’t believe what they preach.

Like many others, the Issaquah school district has committed to inclusion in the wake of the death of George Floyd. But it’s clear that this neighborhood values ​​certain lives over others. If Issaquah truly stood for inclusion – or tolerance – as they so proudly claim, then allowing this protest to continue unchallenged is hypocritical at best and complicit at worst.

This is not the first time Issaquah has turned a blind eye to anti-Semitism among its students. As detailed in a “Jason Rantz Show” exclusively on KTTH, another group of anti-Semitic students (the Consciousness and Racial Empowerment Club, or CARE) organized a class that referred to Hamas terrorists as “freedom fighters” and claimed that Israel is the result of “explicitly a colonial settler movement.” The presentation claimed that “Israeli women were not raped or exposed,” despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

Even though the school was aware of this “teaching,” it did nothing to counter anti-Semitism and misinformation. Ask yourself why.

More from Jason Rantz: Activists cost themselves jobs at Seattle cafe after trying to hold owner hostage

Anti-Semitism among students worsens in Issaquah

An anti-Israel march on October 7 is what happens when anti-Semitism is allowed to fester unchecked. A school that claims to champion diversity, equity, and inclusion only fosters division, ignorance, and hatred. They have failed these kids and parents would do well to make sure they are providing counter-programs that the staff is unable or unwilling to provide.

These kids may not accept it, but they are marching to the tune of a twisted Hamas narrative that dehumanizes Jews and glorifies terrorism. And this isn’t just a problem in Issaquah: it’s a problem across the country, where we’re seeing a growing trend toward normalizing anti-Semitism under the guise of “pro-Palestinian” activism. The only thing missing from the march is a little entertainment – ​​maybe Macklemore will make an appearance to demonize Jews in between performances of mediocre songs.

The district needs to make it clear that it will not tolerate this kind of hatred – because that is what this walkout is about. Anything less than a strong and unequivocal condemnation would be a betrayal of their stated values. But let’s be honest: Did any of us really think that this district, or any district run by progressives, really cared about the universal application of these values?

More from Jason Rantz: Anti-Semitic activists infiltrate non-students on campus to campaign against Israel

Let’s just call these Issaquah students what they are: future failures. But it doesn’t have to be that way

I don’t like to challenge children who are passionate about problems. Even if I don’t agree, I can at least appreciate that they are getting involved in a cause. But when this cause supports terrorism, it is not admirable. And although I have been warned against writing this next paragraph, I think there is value in calling out these students harshly, because no one else in their lives will.

The kids who participate are exactly who you think: pathetic, whiny people who will only ever contribute unnecessary noise to a world that is already sick of them. If their parents sit back, letting this sad excuse of “activism” slip by, then it’s no wonder these future failures are heading in an accelerated path toward a life of mediocrity. Ten years from now, these same parents will wonder why their child is still parked on the couch in their nursery, shoving stale cereal down their face hole while they hate watching Fox News – because that will be the only something that will spark a controversy. of emotion in their otherwise empty and miserable existence.

Will anyone intervene in these children’s lives before it’s too late? I can only hope that if anyone protests, it will be a very small contingent with no influence. But it’s still sad to see wasted potential, even if it’s just a handful of teenagers. And as we know, a single toxic hate monger can wreak a lot of havoc.

Where is the neighborhood?

The Issaquah School District and high school leaders have a duty to step up and remind these students that true inclusion means opposing all forms of hate, including anti-Semitic slur. But it’s more likely that staff are either too cowardly to directly condemn, or are simply aligning themselves with hateful views. Does anyone think a march with Tiki torches would elicit a muted response from the district? If a child said “All Lives Matter” in 2020, there would be a week of anti-racism assemblies. This is a neighborhood that simply doesn’t care about Jews.

This strike is not about justice, but about spreading a deeply toxic and one-sided narrative that demonizes Israel and, by extension, Jews. What these students are doing is not defending peace; they defend division. This is not activism; it is ignorance. And the adults in the room – the ones with real authority and responsibility – are unwilling to do their jobs.

If the district offers a heated response and lets this anti-Semitic march go unchallenged, they are not just allowing hatred to flourish – they are encouraging it. It’s time they took a stand. Will anyone in the neighborhood have the courage to say something?

Listen to The Jason Rantz Show weekday afternoons from 3-7 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast here. Follow Jason on X, formerly known as TwitterInstagram and Facebook.