Conscience: why educators won’t stay silent on Gaza

 Teachers who don’t care that human hostages and strangling the Bibas children are who they are fighting for. They’ve tried this shit before. For Green energy. Supporting Hamas and their methods – Source: Facebook post. Name withheld

 

This week, a fellow teacher posted online that educators who speak out against Israel’s war on Gaza and urge divestment from arms makers are “supporting terrorism.” I was shocked to read such an accusation. Sadly, this kind of attack is becoming all too common — an attempt to silence those of us who stand up for Palestinian human rights.

 

Speaking Out of Conscience

For many of us, speaking out is an act of conscience. Across Canada, thousands of education workers are demanding that our pension funds divest from weapons manufacturers that fuel violence in Gaza and around the world. We refuse to have our retirement savings fund bombs falling on schools and hospitals. We watched in horror as Israeli air strikes hit Al-Aqsa Hospital, while Palestinian trade unions implored educators everywhere to act. How could we stay silent in the face of such abuses?

Opposing the mass killing of civilians is about upholding human rights, not supporting Hamas. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have called Israel’s actions war crimes and apartheid, and the UN’s special rapporteur on Palestine concurs. Even Omer Bartov, a Holocaust scholar, has likened Israel’s assault on Gaza to genocide. Speaking out against these crimes is our duty as educators and human beings.

 

 

A Moral Choice for Canada

As Canada heads toward a federal election, frontrunners are showing no such moral courage. Neither Mark Carney nor Pierre Poilievre has said a word against the carnage in Gaza — even as both push to expand Canada’s defense budget. This silence while pushing more money for bombs over schools and hospitals is indefensible. It’s not just morally wrong — it’s economically senseless to invest in destruction rather than education and healthcare.

As a teacher and union leader, I believe we must stand against all racism — including antisemitism — and against the mass killing of civilians. Our conscience compels us to demand better from our leaders. Canada must implement a two-way arms embargo on Israel now. This is the clear moral call of this moment.

 

 

Nigel Barriffe is the vice-president of Elementary Teachers of Toronto (ETT)