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A study guide for the New York State Regents Exam, aimed at 10th-grade students, has gained attention on social media due to its coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Found in the “Decolonization and Nationalism” unit, specifically Unit 10.7, this section provides a definition of Zionism and offers notes on the United Nations Partition Plan as well as instances of terrorism.
The widely criticized guide calls Zionism an “example of extreme nationalism” and defines it as the “belief that Jews need a homeland in Palestine.” Additionally, its example under the category of “Acts of Terrorism by Israel & Palestine” is “settler movement by Jews taking away land from Palestinians.”
A study guide meant to help 10th graders in New York prepare for a state exam drew backlash over its section on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (Getty Images)
In response to a Fox News Digital request for comment on the study materials, Hochul’s office said that the NYSED was responsible for the Regents Exam. However, they also noted Hochul’s repeated condemnations of antisemitism and actions taken to combat it, including convening “the first-ever summit on antisemitism in education.”
Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust Director Anne Bayefsky said that, “such indoctrination perpetuates antisemitism.” She slammed the guide for teaching hate over “tolerance, respect and coexistence.”
“Anti-Zionism is a form of antisemitism because it teaches that Jewish self-determination is a wrong — instead of the realization of a basic human right. It is time to connect the dots between teaching hate inside the schools and the violence on our streets,” Bayefsky told Fox News Digital.
As of this writing, the original source of the study guide remains unclear, with neither NYSED nor the school district attributing it to anyone in particular. According to Michelle Herman, a parent at Half Hollow Hills High School East, one teacher who distributed the material did not realize what was in it and has since apologized. Herman emphasized that she does not blame the teacher for the guide.
