Charles: Can teachers differentiate Zionist regime and Jews?

Former lawmaker Charles Santiago is worried that teachers would not be able to distinguish between the Zionist regime and Jewish people, therefore sowing the seeds of anti-Semitism in Malaysian schoolchildren.

“I am concerned that teachers might not understand the complexity of the Middle East conflict, let alone clearly comprehend the difference between a Zionist regime, the Jews, and anti-Semitism.

“It’s usually the case where Zionism is conflated with the Jewish people,” he told Malaysiakini.

Charles, who is now the chairperson of the National Water Services Commission (Span), was commenting on the government’s call for national schools to hold a Palestine Solidarity Week.

He said since the Palestinian cause is “very much religion-based” in Malaysia, teachers might imprint the wrong messages in these impressionable minds.

“It is incredibly easy for the teachers to instil hate for the Jews or create a false belief that weapons end conflicts and bring about peace,” he added.

National Water Services Commission chairperson Charles Santiago

On the same note, Charles said there are tens of thousands of Jewish people who are opposed to the “slaughtering” of Palestinians and are protesting across the globe.

“Many more are holding placards and chanting slogans to free Palestine,” he added.

Jewish support

The international media has reported how Jewish people have taken to the streets in the US and European countries to condemn Israel’s aggression with some using the catchphrase “Not in Our Name”.

CNN reported that “thousands of Jews and allies marched on Capitol Hill, where they carried Palestinian flags and rallied in support of Palestinian rights.”

Whereas the Jewish Voice for Peace organisation published the names of close to 3,000 Palestinian children killed in the ongoing war.

“This is what genocide looks like. These are the 2,913 Palestinian children killed by the Israeli military this month, as of Thursday, Oct 26. As the Israeli airstrikes on Gaza intensify, we recognise with horror and grief that this death toll is already inaccurate,” it said.

Therefore, Charles said it is important for Malaysians to stop looking at the Israel-Palestinian conflict from the “jaundiced lens of religion”.

“Conversations and minds must shift, where we pledge our solidarity and support based on humanitarian principles and human rights values,” he added.

Previously, certain quarters, including 12 PKR elected representatives and DAP, expressed concern over the Palestine Solidarity Week when images of schoolchildren brandishing toy guns surfaced.

The Education Ministry has since issued a guideline on “dos and don’ts” which included refraining from “extremist rhetoric” and to not “blame individuals or religions”. - Mkini