Jared Kushner's old high school making kids send pro-Trump letters

Raw Story

Jared Kushner’s old high school in New Jersey is asking its students to send supportive letters to his father-in-law, President Donald Trump, and parents are not happy.

The Frisch School, an ultra-Orthodox Jewish institution, asked children—without obtaining the consent of their parents—to write letters praising Trump’s decision to relocate the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. That decision angered Arab leaders and gave rise to protests across the Muslim world.

The school’s Rabbi David Sher sent a template email to students telling those who “believe that the president made the right decision” in ordering the relocation of the embassy to sign the letter and thank Trump for showing “courageous leadership.”

The children were told: “Just remember to sign your name at the bottom.”

The letter appeared to suggest that the movement of the embassy was a widely popular decision. It was hailed by pro-Israeli advocacy organizations, and some of his evangelical Christian donors.

But experts say the move risks escalating the decades-long conflict that has cost thousands of lives on both sides of the Israeli and Palestinian divide. And Americans overall appear to oppose the move, with 63 percent against it in a national poll published in December, including 44 percent of all Republicans.

"President Trump, you have displayed leadership and strength among the nations by formally recognizing Jerusalem as the eternal capital of the State of Israel," the template letter said.

"We appreciate your commitment to follow the wishes of the American people and your faithful service as our nation's leader. We are grateful for your unwavering support of Israel, America's greatest ally."

Parents of children attending the school told Israeli newspaper Haaretz that the bid for Trump support was “sycophancy” and an attempt to “normalize” his presidency. They said that the school was apolitical and should remain so.

The email was an advocacy project by the right-wing, pro-Israeli committee known as NORPAC, which raises funds for senators who support Israel and its relationship with the U.S.

After parents complained to the school when they realized that the school was seemingly pushing children in the direction of sending the letter, the principal, Rabbi Eli Ciner, said the email “is entirely voluntary and should be done only if you agree with President Trump.”

He said that “we often write to our political leaders if we agree, or disagree, with their decisions. This is one opportunity to allow President Trump to hear your voice.”

But parents said that this was not a common practice at the school, and that children had not been presented with a template letter to send to the president about some of his more controversial moves and remarks, such as his response to the protests against a white supremacist march in Charlottesville, Virginia, or his travel ban on six Muslim-majority countries.

Kushner has been a crucial adviser to Trump on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, shuttling between Israeli and Palestinian officials to give Trump a picture of what any potential peace deal would require.

But the Palestinians say that both Trump and Kushner, as well as the president’s Middle East adviser Jason Greenblatt and Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, are biased in favor of Israeli interests.

Greenblatt coincidentally is a parent at the Frisch School and was a guest speaker there last month.

The Palestinians have said the U.S. can no longer be an impartial custodian of bilateral peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians because of Trump and his team’s decisions.

Trump’s embassy move is controversial because it effectively recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. No foreign embassies were in Jerusalem prior to his decision.

The Palestinians seek east Jerusalem to be the capital of any future sovereign Palestinian state, and the territory hosts some of the holiest shrines in Islam and Judaism. These include the Haram al-Sharif, or Noble Sanctuary, which Muslims consider to be the third holiest landmark in Islam, behind Mecca and Medina.

It also hosts what Jews refer to as the Temple Mount, one of the holiest places in Judaism and the site of two biblical temples. Jews cannot pray at the site as it is still controlled by a Palestinian-Jordanian waqf, or Islamic trust.

Israel captured east Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967 Six Day War and the majority of the international community recognizes the territory as occupied.

Doesn't this go against free speech?

What goes against free speech?

It´s a voluntary letter campaign , so not sure what you think the problem is?

For one it's over a complex political issue that this school is taking one side to and TWO, the parents are even outraged. So obviously, it's not my "crazy leftist beliefs" saying something is wrong.

Wow, getting kids to act as political pawns. How desperate can Donnie and co. be?

@nintendoboy16: They are outraged that it seemed to be pushed down on all kids and seem mandatory.

Also they are kids so perhaps you should take your overly complex political issue and remember that these are kids not adults. So these kids probably outside of their parents influence, could not give a ..... about this letter or Trump.

But i'm getting now that you feel the letter is against free speech? and how would it be? Do you know how many schools got "pulled" into writing letters to Obama?

Did I even say that was okay if that was true? Cut the whataboutism. I have never been pulled into writing letters to George W. Bush when I was in school, and I live in quite a Republican state.

Besides, the "they're kids" excuse holds no water when even kids are capable of bringing up their own political beliefs. Hell, look no further when one of the right's favorite former child pundits when HE started radio.

Kids are influenced by people in their surroundings, They do not make up their mind independently.

And again it's a voluntary letter, no one is being pulled into anything. Would you be equally upset if this was a liberal arts school writing letters to Clinton or Obama? i do not think so.

They only just called it voluntary because the parents got on their asses. It's a simple term called: DAMAGE CONTROL!

And? i 100% agree that if they did not have it as voluntary it would be a problem. But they do and unless you were there or know someone at the school, there is no information as to whether it was so from the start.

Donald Trump's ego strikes again. How pathetic do you have to be to make kids write you approval letters?

@nintendoboy16: "asking" and "making" are completely different words. Another fake headline.

Shouldn't be doing either though.

Holy crap guys you folks are going full fox news.

I think the point some of you are missing is that the same school and same advocacy group would have done the exact same thing regardless of who the person/President was that initiated the embassy move decision.

That is a very misleading headline. It is an ultra-orthodox Jewish school praising "Trumps decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and pro-Israel stance" and asking their students to write letters on that point. Given the ultra-orthodox beliefs about Israel, it's not all that surprising, either. There's plenty to bash Trump on, but I think you're really grasping at straws on this one. Focus on the real news - there's plenty there.