Palos Verdes High School publishes article in yearbook calling Israel the “original sin”; compares the United States to Hamas

The Instagram account Physicians Against Antisemitism shared a controversial page from a yearbook of Palos Verdes High School in California. The yearbook dedicated an entire page making the false argument that Israel was on stolen land by stating “the confluence of anti-Semitism and Zionism facilitated large waves of migration to Palestine, a trend that only exploded during and after World War II.” The yearbook’s page then explains that this was “emblematic of Western arrogance” and the “original sin.” The author of the article then states:

Since its establishment in 1948, Israel has forcibly annexed four million acres of Palestinian land and systematically destroyed over 530 Palestinian communities, resulting in mass displacement and loss of life. This destabilization paved the way for the emergence of Hamas, a terrorist group committed to reclaiming Palestine through violent means.

However, the author then states that Israel’s retaliation is “exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis.” The author continues to explain: “Family trees have been dismembered or obliterated within Gaza; however, the media consistently presents a false dichotomy of the situation. It is not Israel vs. Palestine; it is instead Western influence versus international cooperation.”

The author then appears to compare the United States to Hamas: “That doesn’t mean that the possibility of a two-state solution doesn’t stand; the only real bodies opposing peace in this fashion are the United States, Israel’s far right, and Hamas. With UN support, it is possible to stop the pouring of gasoline on this international fire to ultimately find peace.” The article was titled “Whose Land Is It Anyway?”

On June 4, 2024, KTLA reported that the article was written by a student and approved by a teacher.