BEVERLY HILLS (CNS) – The Board of Education of the Beverly Hills Unified School District will vote Tuesday evening on a proposal to fly the flag of Israel at all district schools for one month every year to signal its support for the Jewish community.
The proposal would proclaim May as Jewish Heritage Month and calls for display of the Israeli flag at each BHUSD school and facility throughout the month of May every year. It’s part of a resolution to combat antisemitism that mixes Holocaust education, lessons on Jewish history and remembrance of the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel.
The resolution was first presented on Aug. 5, when it appeared to have support from all five board members, but it was sent back to revise some wording, including changing the reason for displaying the flag. According to the Los Angeles Times, the original wording mentioned “support for the Jewish state,” but that has been changed to “support for the Jewish community.”
The revised resolution “affirms BHUSD’s commitment to an inclusive and respectful learning environment by supporting education and awareness around Jewish history, culture, and the fight against antisemitism,” according to a statement on the district’s website.
The attempt to fly the Israeli flag has drawn opposition from some who worry that it appears to favor one religion, and one nation currently engaged in a brutal war in Gaza in which many Palestinian civilians have been killed.
“This proposal conflates Jewish faith and identity with the political actions of a foreign government and undermines the inclusive and respectful environment that public schools are meant to foster for all students, regardless of their background,” said Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the Los Angeles chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
“It is deeply insensitive and distressing to Palestinian students who have lost countless family members to Israel’s violent military campaign and the man-made humanitarian crisis in Gaza.”
Andrea Grossman, a mother of three children who have attended BHUSD schools, also opposed the resolution.
“Beverly Hills is a public school district in a diverse city with more than one religion with more than one ethnic group,” Grossman said, The Times reported. “Your resolution would be appropriate in a Jewish day school, in a private school, not funded by taxpayer dollars.”
Tuesday’s board meeting begins at 5 p.m. at the Leadership & Learning Center, Hawthorne Campus, 624 N. Rexford Drive.
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