Beverly Hills Unified School District officials on Tuesday voted yes on a proposal that they hope will fight antisemitism by flying the Israeli flag on all campuses and district facilities. “This is a time right now that Jews are being killed and slaughtered on the street, and threats are happening,” said Sigalie Sabag, a BHUSD board member.
The resolution passed 3-to-2, which was met with strong reaction from members of the public who had gathered for Tuesday night’s meeting. Opponents of the measure say that displaying the Israeli flag in a public school setting blurs the line between supporting the Jewish community and endorsing the Israeli government, particularly during a time when they’re at war. They also believe that other ethnic and religious groups exist within a school district.
Board members say that their decision was made in good faith, and that displaying the Israeli flag is not an endorsement of a government or geopolitical topic.
Antisemitism has been on the rise because people conflate the state of Israel with Judaism. Let’s fight it by waving the Israeli flag! There’s no way that will possibly backfire!
Picking the Israeli flag also gives the game away. They could have gone with an actual Jewish symbol like the star of David or a menorah. Admittedly, both symbols appropriated by Israel; but the only thing I can think of that Israel hasn’t appropriated is a mezuzah; and I doubt most non Jews would recognize that.
Or, if they are having problems with antisemitism, they could try addressing those problems instead of performativly declaring what side they are on.