UTLA indefinitely postpones vote on BDS motion

In a 95-35 vote, United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA), the second largest teachers’ union in the country, voted on Sept. 23 to indefinitely postpone a motion in favor of boycotting Israel.

UTLA represents more than 33,000 teachers and health and human services professionals in district and charter schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

The motion gained traction back in May after 10 days of airstrikes in Israel and Gaza. It has been a heated discussion throughout Los Angeles ever since, creating a divide between educators, community leaders, parents and students. Some UTLA members argued it is the responsibility of educators to speak out against oppression, while others, including the Federation of Greater Los Angeles, argued supporting BDS singles out Israel and is antisemitic. 

The resolution called for the union to endorse BDS movement in Israel and declare solidarity with the Palestinian people “because of the 3.8 billion dollars annually that the US government gives to Israel, thus directly using our tax dollars to fund apartheid and war crimes.”

SoCal Jewish News reached out to UTLA for comment several times.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, along with its partners the American Jewish Committee Los Angeles, ADL Los Angeles, the Board of Rabbis Southern California, the Holocaustt Museum LA, the Israeli American Council and StandWithUs, expressed appreciation to the Board of Directors of UTLA Friday Sept. 24 and the House for rejecting BDS and antisemitism “to end the one-sided and derogatory anti-Israel motion introduced by some of its members this past May.” 

“We are grateful that UTLA’s leadership has heard our community’s voices and the voices of hundreds of UTLA members who spoke out against the motion and stood strong against antisemitism, as well as understanding the problematic nature of the BDS movement,” The Federation’s statement read.