(JTA) – A government ethics review panel in the United Kingdom said that a teacher whom it had suspended for inveighing against Jews and Israel “is not antisemitic.” The assertion came in the summary by the country’s Teaching Regulation Agency of a disciplinary review last month of the actions of Harpreet Singh, 48, who was head of mathematics at Sandye Place Academy in Bedfordshire, 50 miles north of London.He was suspended from the school in June 2017 after concerns were raised by colleagues about his social media posts. The misconduct panel found that he had made “offensive and racist” comments on Facebook including one which said: “Every sane human is anti-Semitic. Because you bastards have made Zionism synonymous with the mistreatment of Palestinians. Billions are anti-Semitic and proud of it.” In another, he posted: “Of course we hate Jews. Israel is the most evil regime on the planet. Supported by Jews from within, and from around the world.”

But the panel said in its review that it “accepted that Mr. Singh is not anti-Semitic. It also accepted that he was not trying to impact upon or influence children or the public, as he did not realize his comments were public. His actions were impulsive and were made in response to something which offended him, and were said (in his opinion) as an attempt to defend the Palestinians.” Singh also wrote that “Israel should be wiped off the planet.”

CAP: Harpreet Singh