By Adam Pagnucco.
The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington (JCRC) is demanding that the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA), which represents MCPS teachers, reject a proposed resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. And JCRC isn’t just targeting MCEA – it is communicating its concerns to the county council too.
Yesterday, JCRC sent out a mass email urging supporters to contact MCEA and ask the union not to support a ceasefire resolution on Gaza. The resolution is due for consideration at a meeting of the union’s representative assembly tomorrow (Wednesday). A screenshot appears below.
The email links to a sample email to MCEA board members which states the following:
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Dear MCEA Board Member:
I am writing to strongly urge you as a leader in the Montgomery County Education Association to reject the proposed ceasefire resolution that is being considered by MCEA representatives this week.
Voting on this resolution violates the union’s Constitution. This is a complex foreign policy issue that falls far outside the purview or expertise of the association or its members. Further, it will only serve to inflame tensions in a county where 10 percent of the population is Jewish and hundreds of teachers who you claim to represent now feel alienated at a time when the number of school-based antisemitic incidents has skyrocketed.
Instead, MCEA should focus its time and resources on the multiple crises unfolding within Montgomery County Public Schools. More than half of MCPS students are affected by poverty. Tens of thousands of students — disproportionately black and brown children — are not reading on grade level. Special education positions across the district remain vacant. Critical academic and mental health programs are facing budget cuts or outright elimination. And a wave of negative publicity has cast a dark cloud over the progress that is occurring.
Once again, I implore you to reject this resolution and urge your fellow MCEA board members to recommit to your core mission: supporting educators in the classroom and advocating for an academic environment where all students can thrive.
*****
The email is also copied to members of the Montgomery County Council.
This afternoon, JCRC doubled down by calling for a rally at MCEA headquarters tomorrow. The screenshots below show their email.
Some may compare this to CASA’s comments on Israel and Gaza last fall, which were widely condemned. But there are three important differences.
First, CASA accused Israel of a “heinous practice of terror” in Gaza and even used the slogan “from the river to the sea,” which is interpreted by many as a call to abolish the State of Israel. In contrast, the ceasefire resolution adopted by dozens of U.S. labor unions does not contain such language and explicitly calls for the return of hostages by Hamas. I don’t have the exact text of the resolution under consideration by MCEA, but my sources claim that it is similar to or identical to the resolution that has spread around the labor movement.
Second, CASA’s statement was made by its leadership. Multiple sources have told me that the resolution at MCEA was proposed by an individual member and not by its board. MCEA is a democratic organization with contested elections for officers and term limits for its president. Democratic organizations consider and debate multiple perspectives and MCEA is no exception.
Third, the domestic politics around Gaza have shifted in recent months as the war has had devastating impacts on civilians. Recent polls by the Associated Press, Data for Progress and the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding estimate that a majority of Americans – especially among Democrats – now support a ceasefire. Even Vice-President Kamala Harris has called for a ceasefire. That may not happen for a bit as Hamas rejected a ceasefire just a week ago and continues to hold Israeli hostages, but the idea of a ceasefire is clearly less controversial than it was four months ago.
As noted above, JCRC’s email to MCEA is copied to the county council, and the council members are now hearing about this issue. One source reports, “We are getting slammed by people pissed about it.” The council does not control MCEA, but it will be making budget decisions affecting the union. That adds another source of heat that few if any people inside the council building want to experience.
This shows once again how Israel’s war against Hamas, which is occurring on the other side of the planet, has a unique ability to stir up domestic discontent. Whether they like it or not, local players who normally focus on salary scales, budget details and collective bargaining have to deal with it.