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Sometimes silence is more telling than statements. That’s certainly true on the Portland Public Schools Board, where five of seven members won’t comment on the teachers’ union distributing shirts with the slogan “From the river to the sea.” That contentious statement, viewed by many Palestinians as a phrase of liberation and by many Jews as a call to antisemitic violence, drew a rebuke from Jesse Cornett, a City Council candidate who received an endorsement from the Portland Association of Teachers. After WW reported the dispute last week (Murmurs, June 19), we asked School Board members to weigh in. Five days later, we had yet to hear from Herman Greene or Patte Sullivan, while Board Chair Gary Hollands and Michelle DePass declined to comment. Eddie Wang offered a statement that didn’t directly address the shirts. Here’s what he, two other School Board members, and our readers had to say.
Julia Brim-Edwards, school board member: “From my perspective, it is not appropriate for PAT to distribute these shirts to wear in our schools. It is a statement that is interpreted by many to call for the destruction of Israel and the Jewish people. They create an unwelcoming and unsafe environment for many of our staff, students and families.”
Andrew Scott, school board member: “The Anti-Defamation League notes that this is an antisemitic slogan. Regardless of PAT’s intent, it’s shocking to me that they seem to care so little about the harmful impact their words and actions are having on our community.”
Eddie Wang, school board member: “I do think it is important to stress that curriculum is adopted and implemented by the district office, not the teachers’ union. There has been a lot of concern among parents about how this affects their schools’ curriculum. I believe a previous Willamette Week article did mention this. Also, our teachers are diverse just like the general population and will have diverse opinions on the matter. Most of our teachers are highly qualified and hold master’s degrees as well, and I know most educational degrees center how to teach and support critical thinking. I trust our teachers will do what’s best for our students.
“As for the union’s actions, I don’t have any comment.”
Democratic Socialists of America, Portland chapter, in a June 23 statement: “In the context used by the Portland Association of Teachers, and hundreds, maybe thousands, of other organizations and events, the phrase ‘from the river to the sea’ has been used as a call for Palestinian self-determination and an end to decades of occupation and injustice. This phrase long precedes the events of the past eight months. Attempts to claim that the phrase is evidence of bigoted beliefs are either misinformed or made in bad faith. Not only does Cornett’s attack smear generations of Palestinians struggling under occupation, it erases the nearly 40,000 Palestinians killed in Israel’s assault on Gaza…
“We unequivocally support PAT in their internal process of developing their classroom materials and trust their experience and expertise as educators as they work to support and nurture students of all backgrounds in their classrooms, without the hostile scrutiny of the press, or politicians hoping to elevate their profile.”
Jesse Cornett, candidate for Portland City Council District 3: “The DSA is clear in their statement condemning me. They stand with Palestine. I stand in support of peace, which is a clear distinction.
“The criticism of me is that I asked others to stop using an antisemitic phrase. When antisemitism is heard, it needs to stop.”
Joseph Campbell, via wweek.com: “Everyone has had ample opportunity to learn that the phrase ‘from the river to the sea’ is highly problematic. If you don’t understand that it freaks out a good percentage of the Jewish population, then you do now. This is a phrase used to describe the end of Israel. Stop using it. If you support Palestinians’ right to self-determination, pick a different phrase that isn’t quite so genocidal.”
Makaloa808, via Twitter: “Children are being blown to pieces by Netanyahu, and people are worried about theirs that say that Palestinians should be free wherever they are?!
“Jesse Cornett just lost my vote.”
Bill Cornog, via Twitter: “I suspect there are large numbers of teachers who don’t want to introduce these issues into the curriculum. They want to focus on educating and advancing the interests of their students. Why don’t they speak out against union leadership that makes the collective body look so misguided and incompetent in the eyes of the public?”
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