Shadow Minister for Education, Sarah Henderson, has raised ongoing concerns about the harm being caused by pro-Palestinian school protests.
“The participation of students in today’s “School Strike for Palestine” in Sydney and another protest in Wollongong is deeply regrettable and only causes further division in our community.
“As we saw in Melbourne yesterday, students who skipped class to attend the rally were exposed to antisemitic chants and hateful signs which confirmed the worst fears of Jewish community leaders.
“School students may not even be aware that chants like `From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be Free’ call for the destruction of Israel.
“Students should be in school and not used as political pawns by activists, including the Greens and the Australian Education Union.
“After such a concerning increase in antisemitism around the country, there can be no equivocation – schools must direct students not to attend these protests which fuel hate and put students’ safety at risk.”