HSTA, NEA call for Israel, Hamas cease-fire

The Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association joins the National Education Association’s call for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.

On March 1, the HSTA wrote to Hawaiʻi’s Congressional delegation, urging lawmakers to end to this conflict and ensure that humanitarian aid reaches children and families in Gaza whose communities continue to be turned into rubble.

HSTA President Osa Tui, Jr. also asked U.S. Sens. Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz and U.S. Reps. Jill Tokuda and Ed Case to provide updates on how they’re addressing the crisis.

In February, the NEA Board of Directors adopted a call to action that reflects the organization’s hope for peace. It underscores the need for the release of the hostages abducted by Hamas from Israel on Oct. 7, as well as immediate and full humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Following the heinous Oct. 7 attack by Hamas against Israelis, NEA and its more than 3 million members have been raising awareness about the dangerous rise in anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim bigotry and violence in the U.S. and around the world, as well as calling for an end to violence against innocent civilians and the return of hostages who have been ripped from their families and communities.

NEA President Becky Pringle said, “All people, no matter their religion, the language they speak, or their place of birth, have a fundamental right to live free of violence and war.”

“As educators, we believe strongly in our professional and moral responsibility to teach and model inclusion and respect for differences, and we must speak out against injustices and violence towards innocent people, especially children. Many educators feel a deep connection to the children in Israel and Palestine. We know that our children are watching, hurting, and in need of a lasting peace,” Pringle said.