NYC 8th-grader waving Palestinian flag at Staten Island graduation causes outrage
An eighth‑grade student at Elias Bernstein Intermediate School 7 in Staten Island displayed a Palestinian flag during his graduation ceremony, violating a school directive that prohibited political symbols. The act prompted mixed reactions, with some audience members cheering while the majority booed, leading to public criticism from parents, officials, and community groups. Borough President Vito Fossella and others called for consequences, while the New York City Department of Education declined to comment.
- ▪The student unfurled a Palestinian flag as he walked off the stage after receiving his diploma, despite prior notices to parents that political displays were forbidden at the ceremony.
- ▪The incident sparked a backlash from many parents and community members, who described the gesture as an inappropriate political statement at a school event.
- ▪Borough President Vito Fossella demanded meaningful consequences for the disruptive behavior and suggested the student's parents encouraged the act.
- ▪The Department of Education did not respond to requests for comment, and critics accused the school of failing to enforce its own policies.
- ▪Some commentators defended the student's action as an exercise of free speech, while others argued it amounted to intimidation amid heightened antisemitic tensions in the city.
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Metro NYC 8th-grader waving Palestinian flag at Staten Island graduation causes outrage By Trista Panagakos Published June 27, 2026, 8:18 a.m. ET See more of our coverage in your search results. Add The New York Post on Google A Staten Island eighth-grader brazenly waved a Palestinian flag at his middle-school graduation, sparking outrage after he defied a school directive. The pupil accepted his diploma onstage at Elias Bernstein IS 7 in Huguenot on Monday and unfurled the flag as he walked off the stage, video of the ceremony shows. A handful in the crowd of hundreds cheered while the majority loudly booed, immediately fracturing the event. 3 Graduates at Elias Bernstein Intermediate School 7 were told before the ceremony what attire and behavior was appropriate.
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