Palos Verdes High Yearbook Page About War In Gaza Sparks Outrage

PALOS VERDES, CA — A student-written article included in Palos Verdes High School's 2024 yearbook about the ongoing war in Gaza is sparking controversy and outrage in the community.

The editorial entitled "Whose land is it anyway?" was printed on one page of the yearbook and addressed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Parents and alumni of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District expressed outrage at the article's inclusion in the yearbook, contending it was antisemitic and caused emotional distress to students.

More than 80 people spoke about the controversy at this week's PVPUSD School Board meeting. The public discussion lasted about three hours and 20 minutes. Locals from both the Jewish and Palestinian communities spoke during the meeting.

"As this school year begins to draw to a close, I am mindful that the lack of action on the part of the school and the district administrations has a lasting impact much greater than a single page in a single yearbook," Rabbi Leah Lewis said. "Jewish students are living a reality in which they are being targeted for no reason other than the fact that they are Jewish — it has become acceptable."

The yearbook article begins with an explanation of the tensions between the Palestinian people and the Israeli people after the creation of Israel in the late 1940s. In the article, the author shares their perspective on America's involvement in the conflict and criticism of how the issue is portrayed in the media.

A group of students, parents and members of a local Jewish congregation have reached out to PVPUSD officials to demand more training on how to prevent antisemitism in schools, KTLA reported. The group argued that a school yearbook should not be used as a platform to promote any form of bias.

While many voices from the Jewish community spoke at the school board meeting, many others at the meeting argued that the student writer was being put in danger and targeted by the local community.

"I first learned of the article published in the high school yearbook on the Israel-Palestine war on social media, and I was horrified to see the comments made by parents within the community towards a student who authored the article and towards staff at PVHS," said Dr. Aisha S, a mother of two students in the district. "It is terrifying that the author, who is a minor to whom the district is obligated to protect, had her personal information and her family's information made public to allow bullying and fear-mongering to continue."

The school district has not yet made a public statement about the article, but PVHS administrators sent an email to the school community addressing the editorial and saying it does not represent the district's position on the issue.