A union representing millions of teachers is distancing itself from the Anti-Defamation League, claiming the organization has too broadly leveraged the label of anti-Semitism.
The action came Sunday, according to the New York Post, which noted the National Education Association is America’s largest union with more than 3 million members.
“Allowing the ADL to determine what constitutes anti-Semitism would be like allowing the fossil-fuel industry to determine what constitutes climate change,” NEA delegate Stephen Siegel said during the weekend meeting.
Siegel previously wanted the NEA to slam the Biden administration for supporting Israel during the war in Gaza that began after Gaza-based Hamas slaughtered Israeli civilians on Oct. 7, 2023.
The teachers’ union dropped the ADL as an education partner, saying the ADL is too quick to label criticism of Israel as anti-Semitism.
NEA Educators for Palestine/Drop the ADL Campaign Celebrate, and more from inside the NEA Representative Assembly https://t.co/gCS69YnHGI pic.twitter.com/3BxqlmrCk5
— K -12 Extremism Tracker (@k12trackersub) July 8, 2025
“NEA will not use, endorse, or publicize materials from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), such as its curricular materials or statistics,” the measure adopted by the NEA’s assembly read.
“Educators embrace the urgency to respond to the questions of racism, injustice, and all forms of bigotry. Despite its reputation as a civil rights organization, the ADL is not the social justice educational partner it claims to be,” the resolution said.
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Dov Hikind, an outspoken former New York state lawmaker and the founder of Americans Against Antisemitism, was angered by the NEA’s action.
“If the ADL is not kosher, none of us are kosher,” he said.
“We Jews are in freaking trouble,” he said. “We are in hell.”
“The world is upside down. Should we be surprised that students are in the street supporting terrorism? It’s a tragedy,” he said.
The ADL called the vote “profoundly disturbing” and said that “NEA activists” were out to “further isolate their Jewish colleagues and push a radical, antisemitic agenda on students.”
“We will not be cowed for supporting Israel, and we will not be deterred from our work reaching millions of students with educational programs every year,” the ADL said.
Liora Rez, the founder of the group StopAntisemitism, said the NEA has left the mainstream behind.
“The most radical fringe has taken over the NEA and they actively promote bigotry against Jews and lies about the Jewish state. Rather than trying to educate our children, they want to indoctrinate them to hate each other,” Rez said.
I am absolutely disgusted with the @NEAToday.
First, it was the harassment of #Jewish teachers wanting #antisemitism addressed in K-12.
Second, the NEA is cutting ties with the @ADL, an anti-hate nonprofit organization who since 1913 has been a leading group combating all… https://t.co/aOUVlrCCiq
— Adam Fox (@TheAdam027) July 7, 2025
However, the Council on American Islamic Relations, which allegedly has ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, said the NEA did the right thing.
“We welcome the NEA’s vote to stop exposing public school students to biased materials provided by the Anti-Defamation League due to its long history of spreading anti-Palestinian rhetoric, using false allegations of antisemitism to silence advocacy for Palestinian human rights and opposition to Black movements for racial equality, including Black Lives Matter and the South African anti-apartheid movement,” CAIR said in a statement.
“This principled move is a significant step toward fostering respect for the rights and dignity of all students in public schools, who must receive an education without facing biased, politically-driven agendas,” CAIR said.
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