The resolution, presented by the Toronto secondary unit of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA), was not discussed because of a backed-up agenda, a source who requested anonymity told The CJN.

More than 200 resolutions were presented to the meeting, but only about half were addressed. “I can tell you it was not a burning issue that anyone was discussing,” the source said.

B’nai Brith Canada described the resolution as one-sided, discriminatory and biased against Israel.

The document, obtained by The CJN, incorporated a 2005 statement by the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic & Cultural Boycott of Israel, which was endorsed by 170 Palestinian organizations.

That document claimed Israel’s occupation had damaged Palestinian society and led to “the denial of educational rights for Palestinians by invasions, closures, checkpoints, curfews and shootings and arrests of teachers, lecturers and students.”

It accuses Israel of ethnic cleansing, “persistent violations of international law” and constructing “the colonial wall” (the security barrier). It calls on supporters to boycott Israel and “to pressure your respective states to impose embargoes and sanctions against Israel.”

In a news release that preceded the teachers’ meeting, B’nai Brith stated: “We were first alerted to the problem by an OECTA union member concerned that the two resolutions whitewash Palestinian terrorism and call for a boycott against the Jewish State.

“The disturbing trend of what appears to be a growing anti-Israel mindset at the union level that is now beginning to permeate schools as well as universities,” said Frank Dimant, B’nai Brith’s executive vice-president.

“We urge the OECTA to adopt a principled stance by rejecting categorically the anti-Israel mindset… OECTA teachers should raise their democratic voices to demand that the good name of their union is not hijacked by a politicized anti-Israel agenda,” Dimant added.