FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 19, 2025
[email protected]
Washington, D.C. | The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is appalled by the NEA Board of Directors’ refusal to ratify the historic vote by thousands of union members calling for divestment from the ADL. Once again, the will of the people has been rejected by those in power. Despite this setback, the union’s historic decision remains irreversible, and the fight for justice continues.
“While the NEA Board’s decision is disappointing, it does not diminish the union’s victory. This powerful vote raised the consciousness of thousands of educators who have been horrified by the intimidation and suppression they face when discussing Palestine, and who reject longstanding narratives pushed by the ADL that have proven to be distorted and harmful,” said Abed Ayoub, National Executive Director of ADC. “We applaud the NEA’s members for their commitment to critical inquiry and their refusal to legitimize materials that endanger students and undermine movements for justice. Despite the ADL’s influence within corridors of power, history can no longer be controlled or rewritten by oppressors. The genocide in Gaza is being documented and exposed through social media, directly challenging traditional narratives in unprecedented ways. The truth will not be suppressed.”
For decades, the ADL has actively undermined racial justice efforts in the United States. It has pushed an anti-Palestinian, anti-Black, and anti-Indigenous agendas, weaponizing claims of antisemitism to silence legitimate criticism of Israeli apartheid and targeting allies of the Pro-Palestine movement. The ADL routinely engages in smear campaigns that threaten and endanger community educators, especially those from marginalized communities, revealing an insidious prejudice baked into the fabric of the organization. Through political intimidation and disinformation campaigns, the organization has cultivated fear around any dissent against its pro-Israel agenda.
ADC encourages all unions, school districts, and educational institutions to follow NEA members’ lead and reconsider their relationship with the ADL and all materials they produce. An educator’s responsibility is to teach in a factual, unbiased, and research-based manner—not to promote distorted narratives that compromise students’ ability to think critically and independently.