LOS ANGELES (Press Release) — The Israel advocacy organization, StandWithUs, congratulates National Education Association (NEA) members who overwhelmingly defeated a motion attacking Israel at their 2021 Representative Assembly. New Business Item 29 (NBI 29) failed with 23% of the RA voting in favor, and 77% voting against.
“We applaud the NEA Jewish Affairs Caucus and all members who spoke out and persuaded their union representatives to defeat this harmful motion by such a large margin,” said Kate Chavez, National Associate Director of High School Affairs at StandWithUs. “NBI 29 promoted dehumanizing smears against Israel, while ignoring the crimes Hamas has committed against Israelis and Palestinians alike. We applaud the NEA for rejecting an approach that only fuels more division and hate, instead of justice and peace.”
An official NEA summary of the measure said the following:
The NEA will publicize its support for the Palestinian struggle for justice and call on the United States government to stop arming and supporting Israel and Saudi Arabia. The NEA will further publicize its support for refugee status for the millions of people across the region who are forced to move and seek refuge for themselves and their families because of the ongoing conflict and repression.
The Arab population of Palestine has again risen up in a heroic struggle against military repression and “ethnic cleansing” by the Israeli state and extreme nationalist forces in Israeli society. …
The NEA is the largest labor union in the United States, representing over 3 million education professionals across the country. Every year, 8,000 NEA representatives come together to vote on various “New Business Items” at the NEA Representative Assembly (RA). NBI 29 was one of two anti-Israel motions submitted for the 2021 RA. The RA ended before the other motion, NBI 51, could be voted on, meaning that it will now be referred to committee. SWU launched a campaign urging NEA members to stand up and oppose these motions.
Local NEA affiliates in San Francisco, and Seattle have passed anti-Israel resolutions in recent weeks. The one passed by the Seattle Education Association (SEA) is especially egregious and has sparked backlash for promoting a vicious antisemitic conspiracy theory. Meanwhile, hundreds of members of the NEA affiliate United Teachers of Los Angeles have signed a letter strongly opposing a similar resolution that is scheduled for a vote in September, 2021.
StandWithUs will continue to work with educators across the United States to tell Israel’s story, correct misinformation, and push back against hate.
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Preceding provided by StandWithUs
A Google search on “ultra vires” and “nonprofits” is highly instructive. A 501(c)(3) professional organization that supported BDS dodged an ultra vires litigation bullet because the court found that its mission or scope could be construed as allowing it to support BDS but, from what I can see (not legal advice) the organization was simply lucky to have itself structured in this manner. Other 501(c)(5) (unions) and 501(c)(3) (charitable) organizations might not be as fortunate should disgruntled members initiate legal action for what they believe is an ultra vires action.
Form 13909 is, by the way, how to complain to the IRS’s Exempt Organization division about the conduct of a nonprofit organization, and the IRS’s opinion is the only one that counts as to whether support for BDS is ultra vires. This does not apply to NEA which obviously exercised better judgment but it does apply to other groups that do support BDS.
Too bad for the nonprofit in question is that its then-President published an anti-Trump tirade on its web page prior to the election, which also is cause for a Form 13909 complaint. Which was filed with a copy of the anti-Trump tirade in question. The IRS’s is the only opinion that counts as to whether this is cause for action against its 501(c)(3) status, but Form 13909 is how you let them know.
Thanks for the efforts you do and the publications to give the right information about Israel.
The next effort must be the removal of the divisive ‘Critical Race Theory’ from our classrooms.
Palestians’ minds are imprisoned by Hamas. Freedom of thought is a risk to life. It is not Israel but Hamas that is denying Gazan Arabs their human rights and it is for the UN to open their eyes to it.
I am so impressed by the work of Stand With Us.
Your actions make a huge impact on the Jewish community.