(Re)Active Praxis: Breaking the Silence: Using Critical Literacy to Discuss Palestine and Israel

References

1. Alareer R. (2024) If I must die: Poetry and prose. OR Books.
   [Google Scholar]
2. Al-Mughrabi N., & Farge E. (2025, July30). How many Palestinians has Israel’s Gaza offensive killed?Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/how-many-palestinians-has-israels-gaza-offensive-killed-2025-01-15/
   [Google Scholar]
3. Amnesty International (2024, December5). Israel/occupied Palestinian territory: “You feel like you are subhuman”: Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde15/8668/2024/en/
   [Google Scholar]
4. Amy J. (2024, January31). Georgia governor signs bill that would define antisemitism in state law. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/georgia-antisemitism-bill-israel-governor-e21444b355f7c3c9f50f0495c9044eac
   [Google Scholar]
5. Antoline J. (2025, February18). An educator’s perspective on teaching about antisemitism and the Middle East conflict. Massachusetts Teacher Association. https://massteacher.org/news/2025/02/teachinghistory
   [Google Scholar]
6. Baker-Bell A., Stanbrough R. J., & Everett S. (2017) The stories they tell: Mainstream media, pedagogies of healing, and critical media literacy. English Education, 49(2), 130–152. https://doi.org/10.58680/ee201728918
   [Google Scholar]
7. Baldwin J. (1962, January14). As much truth as one can bear: To speak out about the world as it is, says James Baldwin, is the writer’s job. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/1962/01/14/archives/as-much-truth-as-one-can-bear-to-speak-out-about-the-world-as-it-is.html
   [Google Scholar]
8. Behizadeh N. (2024) Teaching dystopias during difficult times to build criticality. Voices from the Middle, 32(2), 26–30.
   [Google Scholar]
9. Behizadeh N., & Shelton S. A. (2025) Centering care and humanization in difficult conversations. English Education, 57(3), 244–256.
   [Google Scholar]
10. Behrman E. H. (2006) Teaching about language, power, and text: A review of classroom practices that support critical literacy. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 49(6), 490–498.
    [Google Scholar]
11. Beutel A. (2022) Teaching critically about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with suburban seventh graders. Middle Grades Research Journal, 13(2), 1–16.
    [Google Scholar]
12. Bigelow B. (2024) No, anti-Zionism is not antisemitism. Rethinking Schools, 38(3). https://rethinkingschools.org/articles/no-anti-zionism-is-not-antisemitism/
    [Google Scholar]
13. Center for Constitutional Rights (2024, January31). U.S. court concludes Israel’s assault on Gaza is plausible case of genocide. https://ccrjustice.org/home/press-center/press-releases/us-court-concludes-israel-s-assault-gaza-plausible-case-genocide
    [Google Scholar]
14. Christensen L. (2024/2025) Excerpts from Teaching Palestine’s poetry teaching guide. Rethinking Schools, 39(2). https://rethinkingschools.org/articles/excerpts-from-teaching-palestines-poetry-teaching-guide/
    [Google Scholar]
15. Ciesemier K. (Host) (2023, December7). The unconstitutional silencing of proPalestinian student groups [Audio podcast episode]. In At Liberty. American Civil Liberties Union. https://www.aclu.org/podcast/the-unconstitutional-silencing-of-pro-palestinian-student-groups
    [Google Scholar]
16. Cordall S. S. (2025, May23). “No soldiers, no occupation”: Israel’s anti-war protests small, but growing. Aljazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/5/23/no-soldiers-no-occupation-israels-anti-war-protests-small-but-growing
    [Google Scholar]
17. Falter M. M. (2022) When the shoes don’t fit: A critical empathy framework for (young adult) literature instruction. The ALAN Review, 50(1), 18–32.
    [Google Scholar]
18. Freire P. (1970) Pedagogy of the oppressed. Continuum.
    [Google Scholar]
19. Giordano S. (2024, February4). The politics of defining anti-Semitism. Ms. Magazine. https://msmagazine.com/2024/02/04/the-politics-of-defining-anti-semitism/
    [Google Scholar]
20. Heubeck E. (2023, December8). Teachers face backlash—and discipline—for political stances on Israel-Hamas war. Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/teachers-face-backlash-and-discipline-for-political-stances-on-israel-hamas-war/2023/12
    [Google Scholar]
21. Hollingsworth H., & Crary D. (2023, November16). Who are the Palestinian and Jewish-led groups leading the protests against Israel’s action in Gaza?PBS. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/who-are-the-palestinian-and-jewish-led-groups-leading-the-protests-against-israels-action-in-gaza
    [Google Scholar]
22. International Court of Justice (2024, January26). Application of the convention on the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel). https://www.icj-cij.org/sites/default/files/case-related/192/192-20240126-ord-01-00-en.pdf
    [Google Scholar]
23. Jaber S. (2023, November9). Celebrating Arab narratives for empathy & joy. National Council of Teachers of English. https://ncte.org/blog/2023/11/celebrating-arab-narratives/
    [Google Scholar]
24. Jackson D. (2022) Making sense of Black students’ figured worlds of race, racism, anti-Blackness, and Blackness. Research in the Teaching of English, 57(1), 43–66. https://doi.org/10.58680/rte202232001
    [Google Scholar]
25. Jaleel R. (2016) Teaching Palestine: The importance of bringing the Israel Palestine conflict into the mainstream. Academe, 102(6). https://www.aaup.org/article/teaching-palestine
    [Google Scholar]
26. Kellner D., & Share J. (2019) The critical media literacy guide: Engaging media and transforming education. Brill.
    [Google Scholar]
27. Khalidi R. (2020) The hundred years’ war on Palestine: A history of settler colonialism and resistance, 1917-2017. Metropolitan Books.
    [Google Scholar]
28. Kingsley P. (2024, January12). Accused of genocide, Israelis see reversal of reality. Palestinians see justice. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/12/world/middleeast/israel-palestinians-icj-genocide.html
    [Google Scholar]
29. Kiswani L., Naber N., & Shoman S. (2023) Palestine is ethnic studies: The struggle for Arab American studies in K—12 ethnic studies curriculum. Journal of Asian American Studies, 26(2), 221–231.
    [Google Scholar]
30. Lazzarini P. (2025, March28). UNRWA Commissioner-General: “Gaza: Humanity at its darkest hour.”United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. https://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/official-statements/unrwa-commissioner-general-gaza-humanity-its-darkest-hour
    [Google Scholar]
31. Lewison M., Flint A. S., & Van Sluys K. (2002) Taking on critical literacy: The journey of newcomers and novices. Language Arts, 79(5), 382–392. https://doi.org/10.58680/la2002255
    [Google Scholar]
32. Low D. E. (2024) Transgressive humor in classrooms: Punching up, punching down, and critical literacy practices. Routledge.
    [Google Scholar]
33. Low D. E., Lyngfelt A., Thomas A. A., & Vasquez V. M. (2022) Critical literacy and contemporary literatures. In Pandya J. Z., Mora R. A., Alford J., Golden N. A., & deRoock R. S. (Eds.), The handbook of critical literacies (pp. 308–316). Routledge.
    [Google Scholar]
34. Lyiscott J., Mirra N., & Garcia A. (2021) Critical media literacy and popular culture in ELA classrooms. National Council of Teachers of English. https://ncte.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/SquireOfficePolicyBrief_CriticalMediaLiteracy_April2021.pdf
    [Google Scholar]
35. Martinez A. (2024, October7). Teaching Palestine: Educators bring resistance and history to their classrooms. Prism. https://prismreports.org/2024/10/07/teaching-history-of-palestine-in-class/
    [Google Scholar]
36. Martinez A., & Alhussaina A. (2024, January24). Israel destroys hundreds of educational institutions in Gaza since the war started. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2024/01/24/1226534897/israel-has-destroyed-hundreds-of-educational-institutions-in-gaza-since-the-war
    [Google Scholar]
37. Natansan H. (2023, December19). Schools shut down some students, teachers who comment on the Gaza war. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/12/19/schools-speech-israel-gaza-protest/
    [Google Scholar]
38. National Council of Teachers of English. (n.d.). Resources for teachers and teacher educators to facilitate discussions on complex topics. https://ncte.org/resources/discussions-complex-topics/
    [Google Scholar]
39. National Council of Teachers of English (2019) Resolution on English education for critical literacy in politics and media. https://ncte.org/statement/resolution-english-education-critical-literacy-politics-media/
    [Google Scholar]
40. National Council of Teachers of English (2024) NCTE position statement on supporting teachers and students in discussing complex topics. https://ncte.org/statement/position-statement-on-supporting-teachers-and-students-in-discussing-complex-topics/
    [Google Scholar]
41. Oakland Education Association (2023, December). Educational resources on Palestine. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yHuTs87SSfWaM6qeM6y3RXgEOzjiKF_c75fLMN-2fZk/edit
    [Google Scholar]
42. Palestinian Feminist Collective (2023, October). All out for Palestine: Digital action toolkit. https://palestinianfeministcollective.org/all-out-for-palestine/
    [Google Scholar]
43. Pappé I. (2006) The 1948 ethnic cleansing of Palestine. Journal of Palestine Studies, 36(1), 6–20. https://doi.Org/10.1525/jps.2006.36.1.6
    [Google Scholar]
44. PEN America (2025, March14). Trump administration continues unprecedented federal attack onfree speech and academicfreedom at Columbia University. https://pen.org/press-release/columbia-university-faces-unprecedented-federal-attack-on-free-speech-and-academic-freedom/
    [Google Scholar]
45. Pollock M., Kendall R., Reece E., Lopez D., & Yoshisato M. (2022) Keeping the freedom to include: Teachers navigating “pushback” and marshalling “backup” to keep inclusion on the agenda. Journal of Leadership, Equity, and Research, 8 (1), 87–114. https://journals.sfu.ca/cvj/index.php/cvj/article/view/185
    [Google Scholar]
46. Potok C. (1967) The chosen. Simon & Schuster.
    [Google Scholar]
47. Power S. (2002) A problem from hell: America and the age of genocide. Basic Books.
    [Google Scholar]
48. Robinson A., & Young A. (2024) Young Palestinians speak: Living under occupation. Interlink Books.
    [Google Scholar]
49. Rose L. (2021, June9). “Facing history,” a global resource for educators, leaves out Palestine. Mondoweiss. https://mondoweiss.net/2021/06/facing-history-a-global-resource-for-educators-leaves-out-palestine/
    [Google Scholar]
50. Salazar M. (2013) A humanizing pedagogy: Reinventing the principles and practice of education as a journey toward liberation. Review of Research in Education, 37(1), 121–148. https://doi.org/10.3102/0091732X12464032
    [Google Scholar]
51. San Diego County Office of Education (2024, September30). Resources for educators, families to discuss global issues and conflicts. https://www.sdcoe.net/about-sdcoe/news/post/~board/news/post/resources-for-educators-families-to-discuss-the-events-in-israel-and-gaza-with-students
    [Google Scholar]
52. Shalhoub-Kevorkian N. (2014) Human suffering in colonial contexts: Reflections from Palestine. Settler Colonial Studies, 4(3), 277–290. https://doi.org/10.1080/2201473X.2013.859979
    [Google Scholar]
53. Shatara H., & Saleh M. (2024) Solidarities with/for Palestine and Palestinians: A call to action for educators. Equity & Excellence in Education, 57(4), 399–412. https://doi.org/10.1080/10665684.2024.2357068
    [Google Scholar]
54. Shelton S. A. (2022) “Communities of discomfort”: Empowering LGBTQ+ ally work in a southeastern rural community. English Journal, 54(3), 177–195. https://doi.org/10.58680/ej20241142120
    [Google Scholar]
55. United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (2025, March28). UNRWA situation report #165 on the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. https://www.unrwa.org/resources/reports/unrwa-situation-report-165-situation-gaza-strip-and-west-bank-including-east-jerusalem
    [Google Scholar]
56. VanDerHeide J., Beaton E. L., & Wynhoff Olsen A. (2021) Making others’ perspectives present: Arguments that listen. English Journal, 110(5), 87–93. https://doi.org/10.58680/ej202131233
    [Google Scholar]