'Israel-Palestine Conflict' section of study guide for New York high schoolers draws outrage

The widely criticized guide calls Zionism an "example of extreme nationalism" and defines it as the "belief that Jews need a homeland in Palestine." Additionally, its example under the category of "Acts of Terrorism by Israel & Palestine" is "settler movement by Jews taking away land from Palestinians."

Half Hollow Hills Central School District Interim Superintendent Brian Conboy addressed the issue at a Board of Education meeting on Monday. He said that the material in question was neither created nor approved by the Social Studies Department or the district. He also noted that the material was created before Hamas' Oct. 7 massacre.

"As planned and previously discussed, the HHH Social Studies Department will be meeting to conduct curriculum writing over the next two months to address these exact topics.  Moving forward, all curriculum relating to these issues, both historical and modern, will be district-wide and vetted by an outside group of experts in the field," Conboy said. He assured parents that all teachers in Global Studies 10 would use "the same materials and language" on this topic next school year.

"On behalf of the district, I want you all to know that offensive and inaccurate materials such as this do not meet our standards of excellence and are not something we take lightly.  We can and will do better moving forward," Conboy concluded.

In response to a Fox News Digital request for comment, O'Hare seemed to take a swipe at critics, saying NYSED takes "issue with anyone attempting to cloak misinformation in the guise of combating antisemitism. That's not advocacy, it's manipulation."

Despite the school district and NYSED statements on the issue, the study guide has drawn backlash from both sides of the aisle with Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., and Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., condemning the academic materials. 

Torres said the guide "demonizes Zionism" while failing to "label as extreme the anti-Zionist ideology that inspired the October 7th massacre-the belief that Jews should be violently expelled from the land of Israel."

Stefanik - who some believe is preparing to launch a bid for New York governor - slammed N.Y. Gov. Kathy Hochul and Democrats.

Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust Director Anne Bayefsky said that, "such indoctrination perpetuates antisemitism." She slammed the guide for teaching hate over "tolerance, respect and coexistence."

"Anti-Zionism is a form of antisemitism because it teaches that Jewish self-determination is a wrong - instead of the realization of a basic human right. It is time to connect the dots between teaching hate inside the schools and the violence on our streets," Bayefsky told Fox News Digital.

As of this writing, the original source of the study guide remains unclear, with neither NYSED nor the school district attributing it to anyone in particular. According to Michelle Herman, a parent at Half Hollow Hills High School East, one teacher who distributed the material did not realize what was in it and has since apologized. Herman emphasized that she does not blame the teacher for the guide.