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A Jewish Member of Parliament recently made a discreet visit to a school after a prior engagement was called off due to plans for a protest opposing his views on Gaza. The original visit had been postponed amid tensions, with the Bristol National Education Union (NEU) publicly declaring the cancellation as a “victory for education workers, parents and the community.”
The rescheduled visit took place without notifying the school’s teaching staff. Damien Egan, Labour MP for Bristol North East, explained to Politics West that while he respects the right to protest, there are security concerns attached to visits by Members of Parliament. Reflecting on his time at the school, Egan described it as “a lovely visit, meeting the head… and the school council, the children, the questions, it was fabulous.”
Jon Reddiford, a representative for Bristol on the NEU’s governing body, clarified that the staff had “no intention” of cancelling the initial visit. He acknowledged discussions among staff members about expressing solidarity with Palestine, such as wearing keffiyehs and watermelon badges, but emphasized that the protest was independently organised. Reddiford stated that the staff wished to oppose a supporter of what they consider a genocidal regime visiting their school, to demonstrate that complete support for the MP’s views was not a given. It should be noted that Israel denies accusations of genocide, asserting its actions in Gaza are acts of self-defence. The conflict has resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages taken.
The issue became publicly known in January after Communities Secretary Steve Reed mentioned at a Jewish Labour conference that a fellow MP was prevented from visiting a school in his own constituency due to concerns that his presence might spark unrest among teachers. Subsequently, Conservative MP Lincoln Jopp claimed at Prime Minister’s Questions that Egan had been blocked from visiting a school because of his Jewish heritage. Reddiford firmly rejected this, insisting the protests were not motivated by Egan’s religion and lamenting the spread of falsehoods in the media. When asked about accusations of Egan supporting genocide, Reddiford pointed to Egan’s role as vice-chair of Labour Friends of Israel and his visits to the country as evidence of his position. Egan himself remarked that the opportunity to engage with people during his visit was positive.
Labour Friends of Israel, a group advocating for a two-state solution, clarifies that it does not receive funding from the Israeli government or embassy, relying instead on the support of its members. According to Egan, the organisation collaborates with progressive groups in both Israel and Palestine, including those in the West Bank, working to secure government funding for peace initiatives aimed at fostering dialogue within civil society. Heather Mack, the deputy leader of Bristol City Council and a Green councillor, welcomed the MP’s visit but noted she had not heard Egan directly criticise Israeli state actions. A special Ofsted inspection of Bristol Brunel Academy, the school where the visit occurred, found no evidence of bias in its daily operations. Meanwhile, the Cabot Learning Federation, which manages the school, confirmed that an investigation is underway regarding certain concerning posts appearing online
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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