The conflict in the Middle East has always been extremely complex and it is imperative that the subject is discussed sensitively.

Schools have a responsibility to their students, staff and wider society to ensure that hostilities taking place thousands of miles away is not imported into their classrooms and onto the streets of the UK.  Jewish staff and students have already had to contend with a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents taking place in educational settings followed by the terrorist attack committed by Hamas on the 7th October.

We have been made aware that a group of organisations have called a ‘School Strike for Palestine’ in greater Manchester on the 7th December.  As demonstrated by the provocative poster publicising this event, it will do nothing to foster community cohesion and merely risks escalating tensions for Jewish schoolchildren and school staff across Greater Manchester.  To ask students to abandon their studies in this manner is illegal, reckless, divisive and will do nothing to bring together communities during this challenging time.

We call on the schools and our elected representatives to unequivocally condemn these actions.