'Zionism' Question On Global Regents Exam Sparks Controversy

NEW YORK — Two questions on the recent Regents exam on global history angered nine Republican members of New York's Congressional delegation and puzzled sometime historian Ari Rosenblum, CEO of the Jewish Federation & Foundation of Rockland County.

At issue are two questions based on three maps of Israel, from 1947, 1949 and 2017, which reference the Holocaust as the reason the state of Israel was created and "Zionists" as primary beneficiaries of the changes.

Calling them "abhorrent" and "anti-Semitic," the congressional representatives called for an investigation into the exam.

The problem isn't just that the answers are couched in ideological terminology, it's about facts, Rosenblum told Patch.

The first question asks, "Which historical event most directly influenced the development of the 1947 plan?"

"The proximate historical event that directly influenced a peace plan was the exile of the Jews from their homeland," Rosenblum said. "There wouldn't have been 2,000 years of persecution. A sovereign people living in their homeland wouldn't need the 1917 Balfour Declaration or the 1947 partition. This was Jewish indigenous land. We've been saying 'next year in Jerusalem' since we were exiled from it ... by an earlier European empire."

In the second question, "which group benefited the most," what's striking is the answer choice "Zionists and Jewish immigrants."

Citing a 2019 Gallup study that found more than 9 out of 10 Jews identify as Zionists even now, how much more so in 1947, he said the distinction in the question is ideological, not factual.

"It's anachronistic and even wrong," Rosenblum said. "To make the distinction between Zionists and Jewish immigrants — why? I can’t figure out why unless there's an ideological distinction being made here. Why would an examiner make that distinction?"

In their letter, the congressional representatives said:

For centuries, the State of Israel, one of our Nation’s greatest allies, and Jews have fought for their right to exist. This question attempts to cast doubt on that very notion and rewrite history by erasing the struggle for independence that the State of Israel faced. This comes amidst an unprecedented surge of anti-Semitism across the nation. In November of
2022, New York City alone saw a 125% increase in anti-Semitic hate crimes compared to the
same period the year before. This question is just the latest instance of the anti-Israel and
anti-Semitic ideologies that are infiltrating our schools and communities. Moreover, it indicates a complete lack of oversight in the approvals process at the New York State Education Department.

The letter was signed by Anthony D'Esposito, Andrew Garbarino, Nick LaLota, Nick Langworthy, Michael Lawler, Marc Molinaro, Elise Stefanik, Claudia Tenney and Brandon Williams. Neither of the other two Republicans in the delegation, Nicole Malliotakis and George Santos, were signatories.

The state Education Department issued a statement in response:

A diverse group of New York State social studies teachers prepared, selected, and reviewed the excerpt and questions on the Global History Regents Exam prior to their inclusion. All exam questions are reviewed multiple times by NYS-certified teachers and State Education Department subject matter and testing specialists to ensure they are not biased and accurately measure the learning standards. The questions were designed to test students’ knowledge of geography as it relates to historical events surrounding the creation of the State of Israel, including the impact of the Holocaust on migration to Israel.

As per standard practice, these questions will not be used on future exams. The Department will continue to work with educators and stakeholders across New York to advance equitable access to opportunity while keeping the lessons and atrocities of the past, such as the Holocaust, as testament to the work we must do together to build a better future for all students.

Information on the Department’s test question development process can be found on the NYSED website at http://www.nysed.gov/state-assessment/how-test-questions-are-created-new-york-state-english. Located on this website is an informational video along with a printable transcript.

"The ideological approach of the academics who wrote these questions ignores Jewish history and Jewish indigeneity in a discussion of Jewish sovereignty in our ancestral land," Rosenblum said. 'It's unacceptable and unprofessional."