Fight Breaks Out at High School Over Israel, Hamas War

A New Jersey school district responded to videos on social media that captured a fight among students relating to disagreements on the Israel-Hamas war.

Last week, videos posted on social media showed students involved in altercations at Cherry Hill East High School in Cherry Hill.

"Hamas student activists start fight with Jewish student on "global day of rage" in Cherry Hill East HS in New Jersey," Lisa Elizabeth wrote on X, formerly Twitter, showing an altercation between groups of students.

The X account @StopAntisemitism posted a similar video on social media with a caption that said, "Video footage out of Cherry Hill East High School shows an out of control student screaming at what appears to be a group of Jewish students."

Hamas militants launched a surprise attack in parts of Israel on October 7. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country is "at war" and vowed a strong response attack from Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on the Gaza Strip. Israel has continued to launch air strikes in Gaza and more than 3,000 casualties have been reported across both sides as of Tuesday, the Associated Press reported.

Responding to the videos of the fights, Dr. Kwame R. Morton Sr., acting superintendent of Cherry Hill Public Schools, issued a statement, saying: "Our community has been rocked by the terror attacks carried out by Hamas on Saturday. We stand united with our government in unequivocally condemning the attacks and are devastated by the resulting loss of innocent lives....Today, a video of a heated exchange between students at Cherry Hill High School East was widely released, causing further concern in our community. This short video represented a brief moment in time that was addressed immediately by school staff and administration."

The statement noted that school officials are working with community partners in the "Jewish and Muslim communities to assist our students and staff in respectful engagement," adding that, "Acts of violence, discrimination or mistreatment in our schools are not, and will not, be tolerated."

In addition to the statement, the Cherry Hill School District Jewish Student Union, Muslim Student Association and Middle Eastern North African Association issued a joint statement responding to the altercation.

"We, as student leaders of the Cherry Hill High School East community, are deeply disheartened by the surge in hatred and violence over the past week in our school...in these challenging times, we must view our fellow peers not as adversaries but as the individuals we've grown up alongside since kindergarten. There are no sides in this situation; it's solely our school united against intolerance," the statement said.

"To anyone who has felt uncomfortable coming to school, we extend our most sincere apologies. Your well-being and peace of mind are of paramount importance to us, and we are committed to ensuring that every member of our school community feels safe, respected, and valued. Together, we stand united against any form of harassment, and we are dedicated to creating an inclusive and nurturing environment for all."

Newsweek reached out to Morton via email for further comment.

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