Key Points
- Nine-Year-Old Boy Withdrawn: A Jewish family removed their nine-year-old child from a state primary school in north London following antisemitic remarks made by his classroom teacher.
- Controversial Teacher Statement: The teacher allegedly claimed “actually, it’s the other way around” when told about the 7 October Hamas massacre, implying Jewish victims were responsible for the attack.
- School Refused Intervention: School leadership reportedly declined requests to introduce antisemitism training for staff, stating they could not force teachers to engage with political matters.
- History of Incidents: The child previously faced hostility from peers, including chants of “Free Palestine” and anti-Israel abuse, after expressing support for an Israeli Eurovision singer when he was eight years old.
- Concerns Raised by Advocacy Groups: Major UK Jewish institutions, including the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Community Security Trust (CST), have expressed grave concern and urged government action.
London (The Londoner News) October 16, 2026 – A nine-year-old Jewish boy was removed from a north London state primary school after his teacher claimed Jews were to blame for the 7 October attacks. The family requested staff antisemitism training, but the school refused, citing political neutrality. The child previously suffered peer hostility and has since moved to a Jewish school.
As reported by Elisa Bray of The Jewish Chronicle, a nine-year-old Jewish boy has been withdrawn from a state primary school in north London after his classroom teacher informed him that Jewish people were responsible for the 7 October massacre carried out by Hamas terrorist forces in southern Israel. The family formally requested that the school administration provide antisemitism training for its teaching personnel, but the school declined the proposal, responding that it could not compel its staff to engage with political matters.
The critical incident occurred earlier this year after the young boy’s father, who has requested anonymity to protect his family’s identity, held a conversation at home with his son regarding the Hamas terrorist assault on the Nova music festival. The following day, the boy referenced this discussion during a conversation with his schoolteacher. As reported by Elisa Bray of The Jewish Chronicle, the teacher responded by stating, “Actually, it’s the other way around”.
Describing the impact of the exchange, the father explained how his son interpreted the staff member’s response. As reported by Elisa Bray of The Jewish Chronicle, the father stated: “His understanding was that she was saying the Jews were the ones who attacked the Palestinians, while denying the criminality and brutality of what Hamas did that day. She was essentially saying they had it coming because they are ‘freedom fighters'”.
Upon learning of the classroom interaction, the father immediately arranged an urgent face-to-face meeting with the primary school’s deputy headteacher. During this session, the deputy head recorded written notes and gave formal assurances that the matter would be investigated and addressed. However, according to the boy’s father, the school administration subsequently initiated no further contact, failing to provide updates despite numerous attempts by the family to reach out via phone calls and electronic mail.
In an attempt to resolve the matter constructively, the father suggested to the deputy headteacher that the teacher in question attend the educational Nova exhibition, which was then hosted in London, to gain an accurate understanding of the events of 7 October. The school administration rejected the proposal, maintaining that it was impossible to compel educational staff to participate in political issues. As reported by Elisa Bray of The Jewish Chronicle, the father recalled replying: “I told her this isn’t politics. This is an event now etched in history, in which innocent people were murdered”.
As a last resort, the father attempted to address the ongoing situation by approaching the primary school’s headteacher on the final day of the academic school year. The headteacher declined to intervene, asserting that they had “nothing to do with it” and reassuring the parent that the deputy headteacher would contact him directly.
According to reports published by The Jewish Chronicle, this incident was not the child’s initial experience with hostile conduct at the north London institution. A year prior, at age eight, the boy voiced praise for the Israeli vocal artist participating in the Eurovision Song Contest. In response, a fellow classmate shouted curses against Israel at him, while two other pupils began chanting “Free Palestine” in his direction.
Following these repetitive incidents, the family decided they had no alternative option but to formally withdraw their son from the non-denominational primary school. Prior to the start of the new academic term, the boy was enrolled in a Jewish faith school. Within weeks of the transfer, his parents noted a significant positive change in his wellbeing. As reported by Elisa Bray of The Jewish Chronicle, the father noted: “Every day at pick-up, we see him with a smile on his face, chatty and energised from his day”.
Reflecting on the psychological toll the situation took on his son, the father expressed deep distress regarding the loss of faith in state education. As reported by Elisa Bray of The Jewish Chronicle, the father stated: “I will never send him to a non-Jewish school again. It’s over. I’ve lost all my trust”.
The father, who was born in France, drew a historic comparison between his current experience in London and his own family’s history of displacement. As reported by Elisa Bray of The Jewish Chronicle, the father remarked: “In 1940, my grandfather took my mother out of school because of anti-Semitism under the Vichy regime. I can’t shake the feeling that I’m in the same place now with my nine-year-old son, forced to take him out of a school in England because of anti-Semitism in 2026. It has deteriorated to the point where we are experiencing anti-Semitism even in a primary school”.
Prominent British Jewish representative organisations reacted sharply to the disclosures. A spokesperson for the Board of Deputies of British Jews indicated that events of this nature highlight the critical necessity for publishing the official findings of Sir David Bell. Sir David Bell was commissioned by the Department for Education to conduct an independent review examining antisemitism within educational institutions across England.
Concurrently, a representative spokesperson for the Community Security Trust (CST) issued an official statement regarding classroom safety and reporting protocols. As reported by Elisa Bray of The Jewish Chronicle, the CST stated: “Schools should be places where children can learn, thrive and feel safe, without any fear of bullying, harassment or political intimidation. It is deeply concerning that Jewish pupils are encountering hostility because of their identity or religion. Teachers are to be trusted to educate children, not to introduce extreme ideas into the classroom. We call on any family that has experienced anti-Semitic behavior in a school setting to report it to the school, to the police and to CST”.
What is the background to this educational controversy?
The broader background behind this development stems from a documented rise in antisemitic incidents within educational institutions following the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks in Israel and the subsequent conflict in the Middle East. Over recent years, community monitor groups such as the Community Security Trust (CST) have recorded elevated numbers of reported incidents involving Jewish students, teachers, and educational settings across the United Kingdom.
In response to growing concern from civil society groups, parents, and community leaders regarding antisemitism in English schools, colleges, and universities, the Department for Education appointed Sir David Bell to conduct a comprehensive, independent national review. Sir David Bell’s mandate includes investigating the extent of antisemitic conduct in educational environments, evaluating existing school reporting mechanisms, and providing recommendations to protect students and staff from ideological harassment and bias.
How will this development affect Jewish families, school administrators, and policymakers?
This development carries notable implications across multiple groups within the UK education system and the wider public:
Impact on Jewish Families and Pupils
For Jewish parents and children attending non-denominational state schools, high-profile reports of unaddressed classroom hostility may heighten feelings of anxiety and vulnerability. This case highlights a growing potential trend where families lose trust in public educational institutions, feeling compelled to seek refuge in private or faith-based Jewish schools to ensure their children’s psychological safety and cultural wellbeing.
Impact on School Administrators and Educators
Primary and secondary school leadership teams face increasing scrutiny regarding how they manage political discussions, global conflicts, and claims of hate speech within the classroom. The decision to label historical mass casualty events as “political matters” that fall outside staff intervention policies creates administrative uncertainty. School administrators will likely be pushed to adopt clearer guidelines on how teachers must distinguish between political discourse, mandatory historic/societal curricula, and discriminatory conduct.
Impact on Educational Policy and Government Oversight
The report intensifies pressure on the Department for Education to publish and implement the findings of Sir David Bell’s review. Policymakers will likely face demands to establish mandatory training frameworks regarding antisemitism and political impartiality for teachers, ensuring that state-funded schools maintain safe environments while adhering to national standard protocols on bullying and discrimination.
