By: Tzirel Rosenblatt

For months, a large Palestinian flag has hung prominently in the hallway of Leaders High School in Gravesend, Brooklyn, igniting a firestorm of controversy and drawing sharp criticism from Jewish educators and activists who see the display as intimidating and politically charged.

According to a report that appeared on Saturday in The New York Post, the banner’s presence was first raised by members of the United Jewish Teachers organization, who expressed concern that the school had allowed the symbol to remain in place throughout the summer and into the current academic year. The issue has grown into a broader debate over what constitutes cultural representation versus political advocacy within New York City’s public schools.

The controversy came to a head this week when Moshe Spern, president of United Jewish Teachers, sent an email to Principal Thomas Mullen of Leaders High School. In his message, obtained by The New York Post, Spern said that “members of the Lafayette school community” — referring to the Lafayette Educational Complex where Leaders shares space — had been complaining about the flag since the end of the last school year.

“At this point, the fact that it still remains hanging seems more like a political statement,” Spern wrote, noting that concerns raised months ago had been ignored. According to The New York Post, Spern never received a reply from Principal Mullen.

In follow-up comments, Spern explained why the flag’s display was deeply unsettling for many Jewish faculty and students. “Although flags were sporadically displayed around the school building, the singular placement of this (Palestinian) flag was perceived as intimidating by Jewish teachers and students,” he said.

The Department of Education (DOE), when pressed by The New York Post about the complaints, defended the school’s decision to keep the Palestinian flag on display. Spokeswoman Nicole Brownstein insisted that the banner was not a political statement but part of a broader initiative to recognize the diverse nationalities represented at Leaders High School.

“This is one of twenty flags on display, each representing a student’s nationality. Every student and staff member who wishes to have their nationality represented as part of this collection of flags will have their request honored,” Brownstein said.

She even provided photographs of seven other foreign flags that hang in the building. However, when asked whether the collection of twenty flags included Israel’s national flag, Brownstein declined to answer — an omission that only intensified suspicions among critics that the Palestinian flag had been given disproportionate prominence.

At the heart of the dispute lies a question of perception. Supporters of the display argue that hanging a Palestinian flag is no different from showcasing flags of other nations represented in the student body. To them, it is an act of inclusivity and cultural acknowledgment.

But as The New York Post report noted, Jewish educators see the matter differently. With the Palestinian flag hanging alone in a high-traffic hallway for months, they argue, its prominence crosses the line from multicultural representation into political messaging.

The context matters. New York City schools, particularly in Brooklyn, have seen heated debates over the Israel-Palestinian conflict spill into classrooms and extracurricular activities. In this environment, Jewish parents and teachers fear that the flag’s presence could embolden anti-Israel sentiment and make Jewish students feel marginalized.