Archive photo
Photo: Effie Shrir
Arab-Israeli pupils refuse to stand for anthem
During soccer game between pupils from Arab-Israeli town of Sakhnin and Kiryat Bialik, Arab pupils refuse to stand for playing of Hatikva. Pupil: ‘It almost deteriorated into violence’
A storm broke out during a soccer game between high school students after Arab students refused to stand for the national anthem.
The incident took place during the national soccer championship game between the Arab-Israeli Sakhnin high school and the Ort Bialik high school, which took place in Haifa.
When the national anthem played, the Arab students refused to stand, an act which was booed and condemned by the Jewish students.
"It was a disgraceful," said Guy Cohen, a student from Ort Bialik. "This is sports and there's no reason that it should go off the rails. It almost got violent, but our teachers prevented us from confronting them," he added.
The Education Ministry said in response that it "viewed the lack of participation among the pupils in singing the anthem with severity. The Ministry plans to take active steps against those pupils, citizens of the State of Israel, who chose not to honor the anthem."
