Teachers’ Union Weighs In on Israel-Hamas War
‘The path forward in the Middle East must end the decades of conflict and bloodshed by recognizing the rights of both peoples and affirming a two-state solution,’ Randi Weingarten says.
One of America’s largest teachers’ unions is weighing in on Middle East policy, adopting a resolution calling for a cease-fire and two-state solution for “Israeli and Palestinian self-determination.”
The unanimous resolution was passed by the executive council of the American Federation of Teachers, a union with 1.7 million members. It comes as city councils across the country are passing ceasefire resolutions of their own.
“The time for war is over, and the time for diplomacy must begin,” ATF’s president, Randi Weingarten, said. “We believe wholeheartedly that the path forward in the Middle East must end the decades of conflict and bloodshed by recognizing the rights of both peoples and affirming a two-state solution.”
Everyday, union members “see the tremendous pain that Palestinians and Israelis are experiencing,” she said, adding that many members and the students they teach are “horrified and aggrieved by what has happened.”
The ATF resolution states that the group recognizes “the right of Israel to protect its citizens against crimes of war and aggression,” calling out the slaughter of Israelis by Hamas on October 7. Yet, it adds, the war in Gaza “has created a humanitarian tragedy that must end.”
The resolution states that further “shedding of blood in Gaza and the infliction of more pain and anguish will not bring peace and security to either Palestinians or Israelis.” It calls for a bilateral cease-fire that would be guaranteed by the “international community,” and calls for a two-state solution for “ the people of Israel and the people of Palestine.”
“Both peoples have deep roots in that land and the right to live there in peace and with freedom,” the resolution reads. “A bilateral cease-fire is necessary to start the process of negotiating a lasting agreement that ends the decades of conflict and bloodshed by recognizing the rights of both peoples and providing each with its own government — two states for two peoples.”
The teachers’ union adds people in Gaza have suffered under the rule of Hamas and says that Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is a “major obstacle” to achieving peace and security, adding that he “has an interest in prolonging the war.”
