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Statement by Minneapolis teachers union on Israel-Hamas conflict sparking controversy

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A recent statement by the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers (MFT) on the conflict between Israel and Hamas has stirred controversy and raised objections from some Jewish parents in the Minneapolis school district.

The federation, which represents thousands of the district’s teachers and support workers, on Nov. 14 posted a resolution on its Facebook page that condemns American support for Israel, calls on state lawmakers to repeal anti-BDS (Boycott Divest Sanctions movement) legislation and denounces violence against civilians on both sides.

The MFT resolution also calls for an immediate cease-fire to de-escalate the conflict and allow humanitarian aid delivery into Gaza.

While the resolution has received support from some members of the school community, others have voiced opposition and are calling on the MFT to take it down immediately.

The Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas (JCRC) says the statement is antisemitic and hostile to Jewish students and teachers in the Minneapolis Public Schools. But the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) disagrees with JCRC’s assessment, saying the resolution supports both Palestinians and Israelis and includes undisputed facts by international human rights groups.

Marcia Howard, the federation’s acting president and a longtime member, defended the resolution Monday while noting the labor group’s commitment to peace and justice. Howard, a civil rights activist, said the resolution was brought forward by an MFT leader and approved by vote during a regular teachers’ chapter meeting on Oct. 25.

Asked how many of the district’s 3,700 teachers attended the meeting and how the vote broke down, Howard said: “The majority of the people who attended the meeting voted yes.” The next member meeting is slated for next week.

“We are here for the safety, security and success of our students,” Howard said. “Islamophobia and antisemitism is real and it is present. … This resolution is some of our members’ attempt at promoting a means of safety for children around the world.”

Ethan Roberts, JCRC’s deputy executive director, questioned why the MFT — which he said “has no expertise whatsoever with the Middle East” — is weighing in on the Israel-Hamas conflict.

“There’s nothing they can possibly do or not do that’s going to make any difference on what’s happening over in Israel and Gaza,” Roberts said. “But what they are doing is having a tangible, destructive impact on Jewish teachers, Jewish students, Jewish parents, and others.”

But Jaylani Hussein, who leads the local chapter of CAIR, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights group, said it’s Islamophobic not to speak about the plight of Palestinians.

“There is not any substance of that [MFT] statement that is factually incorrect, or in any way implies targeting of anyone, other than clearly declaring what is already factually true,” Hussein said.

JCRC sent a letter Monday to interim district Superintendent Rochelle Cox and the Minneapolis school board, demanding that the district publicly distance itself from the “antisemitic and hostile” MFT resolution. It also called for a conversation with school district leaders, administrators and educators about Jewish identity and antisemitism. More than 783 people, including parents, staff, students and residents, have signed the letter.

Minneapolis school district officials did not immediately respond Monday to a request for comment.

JCRC leaders say in the letter that the MFT refuses to condemn the attack by Hamas and places sole blame on Israel for the conflict, while failing to call for the immediate release of Israeli hostages. They also say the letter endorses the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement directed against Israel.

Both JCRC and CAIR-MN have been documenting an alarming surge of antisemitism and Islamophobia in schools since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, raising concerns among both Jewish and Muslim families. CAIR said it’s investigating reports of students being suspended for speaking up for Palestinian causes.



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Minnesotans reflect on Biden’s apology

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Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and her daughter were among the throngs Friday as President Joe Biden delivered the apology that many Indigenous Americans thought would never come.

“I think he really said the things that people have been waiting to hear for generations, acknowledged just the horror and trauma of literally having our children stolen from our communities,” said Flanagan, a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe. “It’s a powerful first step towards healing.”

Hundreds of boarding schools operated in the 19th and 20th centuries, separating Indigenous children from their families and forcing them to assimilate to European ways. Many children were abused, and at least 973 died, according to a report from the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Other Minnesotans reacted similarly to Flanagan, saying they welcomed the apology but that additional action is needed to help Indigenous people move forward.

Anton Treuer, a professor of Ojibwe at Bemidji State University, wrote in a newsletter that the apology was “a welcome first step on the journey to healing.”

“There is no way to truly right historical injustices for the children buried at Carlisle, Haskell, and other schools, but these words set a new tone for the country and will help heal the anguish so many Natives have carried for so long,” Treuer wrote. “It gives me hope that we can come together to reconcile and heal our troubled nation.”

Sen. Mary Kunesh, DFL-New Brighton, the first Indigenous woman to serve in the state Senate, called Biden’s apology encouraging.

“This recognition of past wrongdoings is an important step towards healing relationships between the United States and the sovereign nations affected by these past systems,” Kunesh said in a statement. “This dark period of American history must be remembered and taught.”



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MPD on defensive after man shot in neck allegedly by neighbor on harassment tirade

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“I have done everything in my power to remedy this situation, and it continues to get more and more violent by the day,” Moturi wrote. “There have been numerous times when I’ve seen Sawchak outside and contacted law enforcement, and there was no response. I am not confident in the pursuit of Sawchak given that Sawchak attacked me, MPD officers had John detained, and despite an HRO and multiple warrants — they still let him go.”

On Friday, five City Council members sent a letter to Mayor Jacob Frey and Police Chief Brian O’Hara expressing their “utter horror at MPD’s failure to protect a Minneapolis resident from a clear, persistent and amply reported threat posed by his neighbor.”

Council Members Andrea Jenkins, Elliott Payne, Aisha Chughtai, Jason Chavez and Robin Wonsley went on to allege that police had failed to submit reports to the County Attorney’s Office despite threats being made with weapons, and at times while Sawchak screamed racial slurs. Sawchak is white and Moturi is Black.

The council members also contend in their letter that the MPD told the County Attorney’s Office that police did not intend to execute the warrant for “reasons of officer safety.”

At a Friday afternoon news conference at MPD’s Fifth Precinct, O’Hara said police had been working to arrest Sawchak since at least April, but “no Minneapolis police officers have had in-person contact with that suspect since the victim in this case has been calling us.” The chief pointed out that Sawchak is mentally ill, has guns and refuses to cooperate “in the dozens of times that police officers have responded to the residence.”

O’Hara put aside the option to carry out “a high-risk warrant based on these factors [and] the likelihood of an armed, violent confrontation where we may have to use deadly force with the suspect.” The preference, he said, was to arrest Sawchak outside his home, but “in this case, this suspect is a recluse and does not come out of the house.”



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Rochester lands $85 million federal grant for rapid bus system

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ROCHESTER – The Federal Transit Administration has green-lighted an $85 million grant supporting the development of the city’s planned Link Bus Rapid Transit system.

The FTA formally announced the grant on Friday during a ceremonial check presentation outside of the Mayo Civic Center, one of the seven stops planned for the bus line. The federal grant will cover about 60% of the project’s estimated $143.4 million price tag, with the remaining funds coming from Destination Medical Center, the largest public-private development project in state history.

Set to go live in 2026, the 2.8-mile Link system will connect downtown Rochester, including Mayo Clinic’s campuses, with a proposed “transit village” that will include parking, hundreds of housing units and a public plaza. The bus line will be the first of its kind outside the Twin Cities — with service running every five minutes during peak hours.

“That means you may not even need to look at a schedule,” said Veronica Vanterpool, deputy administrator for the FTA. “You can just show up at your transit stop and expect the next bus to come in a short time. That is a game changer and a life-transformational experience in transit for those people who are using it and relying on it.”

The planned Second Street corridor is already one of the busiest roads in Rochester, carrying more than 21,800 vehicles a day, and city planners have talked for years about ways to reduce traffic congestion in the city’s downtown. Local officials estimate that the transit line, which will rely on a fleet of all-electric buses, will handle 11,000 riders on its first day of operation and save eight city blocks of parking.

Speaking to a crowd of about 100 people gathered on Friday, Sen. Amy Klobuchar said the project shows Rochester is thinking strategically about how it handles growth.

“If you just plan the business expansion, and you don’t have the workforce, you don’t have the child care, the housing or the transit, it’s not going to work very well as a lot of communities across the nation have found,” Klobuchar said.



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