News
Students show support for 'leftist' teacher facing dismissal
Ahiya Raved
Published: 20.01.14, 15:33
Comment Comment
Print comment Print comment
Back to article
29 Talkbacks for this article
1. dismissal was to far but teachers should preach politics
zionist forever   (01.20.14)
Teachers should not be allowed to preach political ideology and tell kids their way is the right way and the people on the other side of the political fence are wrong. Thats brainwashing because they are telling kids who don't fully understand all the facts and telling them to adopt your ideology. There is no place for politics in school and the teacher should have been given a warning but not instant dismissal which turns her into a martyr for the left.
2. Let me understand this
P.S.   (01.20.14)
Leftists are against the IDF and many, if not most of them, indeed dodge the draft. Hareidim are also against the army and 99% never enlisted and will never. Does this mean that only the Nationalists, the religious Zionists, plus some Leftists are in the army? If so, why the discrimination only against Hareidim?
3. if this is free speach
Gary ,   Modiin Israel   (01.20.14)
If this teacher can say these things about the IDF and Israel without evidence. and this is called free speach, Then it should be OK for a science teacher to say that evolution is false and present creationism in science class as free speach too.
4. oy vey
david ,   Tel Aviv   (01.20.14)
This, making illegal the word nazi, stopping israeli arabs from waving flags at football matches. What a bunch of insecure and unconfident whiners we are. And of course, this only makes a martyr out of this teacher. What a moronic quote: "needless to say he does not have the tools to decide if the idf is moral or immoral". I suppose only those that agree with Zvi Peleg have these tools.
5. Kol Hakavod!!!
Simon   (01.20.14)
6. ORT is a private school run by Jewish donations
Rod ,   Fargo N.Dakota   (01.20.14)
from abroad.If the sudents or their parents don't like it they can go to Israeli public schools
7. Participated in protests abroad
Jake   (01.20.14)
"He also confirmed that he told the students he participated in protests abroad and even shouted 'Viva Palestine.'" The teacher confirmed details about himself that are even worse than what the student had alleged. This confirms the truth that has always been known - Israel's enemies abroad are the life blood that sustains the radical left in Israel. It's about time that umbilical cord was cut.
8. Counterculture finally arrives in Israel
Steve Benassi ,   Silver Bay, MN USA   (01.20.14)
9. Adam Verta
Robert Haymond ,   Teko'a, Israel   (01.20.14)
So has Adam Verta allowed a discussion to take place and has he brought in a sufficient number of articulate educators who pose contradictory views? We haven't really heard in this article one way or other. I think it's very important, however.
10. #4 freedom of speech
(01.20.14)
You are right that outlawing the word Nazi was stupid. Waving the flag is a little different because it identifies loyalty: a person waving Hamas or PLO flag should lose their Israeli citizenship. As for the teacher Verta, Israel has a long history of censoring teachers. Do you remember how they fired the teacher who refused to teach that Rabin was right? In this case Verta should be allowed to keep his job if he does his job. Saying the IDF isn't the most moral army in the world is propaganda and should be forbidden. But comparing to IDF to whatever army Verta thinks is the most moral army, explaining what he has against IDF, and letting the children discuss why he is right or wrong should be applauded. As for Verta's support of the destruction of Israel, it is good that the children be confronted with this kind of challenge at a young age: Israelis are unequipped to deal with venomous antisemitism. Verta should say: "I believe the Jewish presence in Palestine is illegal and immoral as written in the PLO Charter. Prepare a 10 page essay why you should not all be deported back to Poland and Germany next week". That would be education.
11. he has to stay neutral, but.....
Toledano Jean-Pierre ,   Israel   (01.20.14)
1. a teacher must always stay neutral about political and defence questions. 2. but, in a not religious - that's here the case, I think - school students can have a certain opinion and if, e.g. during the lesson about morality, that item leads to a discussion then the teacher can allow his students to give their opinion about it and to discuss the matter. Himself must normally stay neutral. 3. I do not agree about the generalization about the behaviour of the army or his soldiers. After some incidents the military staff orders almost always an inquiry.
12. Dismissal is too good for renegades
(01.20.14)
13. Even if he had said that
pepe ,   jerusalem   (01.20.14)
Freedom of speech. You can argue with him, you can disagree with him, but you cant make him shut up.
14. Censor the truth. One mind only.
Don't think   (01.20.14)
15. 2
2   (01.20.14)
If your a leftist sipping coffee in a Tel Aviv caffe because you refused to serve then you have a conscience and high moral values. If your a haredi in yeshiva then your not carrying your share of the burden even if the IDF neither wants or needs you because it means using money given to buy for equipment on haredi jobnicks. If you don't serve because your right wing or at work trying make a living then your a draft dodger breaking the law.
16. fire this so called teacher. this is not a free speech issue
ralph   (01.20.14)
17. Teaching and politics in the classroom
Rivkah F. ,   jerusalem   (01.20.14)
Outside the class, one can vote, say & write what one wishes. That is democracy. Inside the classroom, one should stick to teaching the subject. However, if the class is about politics & leadership, as I thought it was in this case, a teacher may be allowed to give his or her political opinions. Students should be allowed to disagree, but they are not equals, so this is a problem. Guidelines should be given in as to what extent political views can be expressed in class. It is not an issue of freedom of speech; it is an issue of the content of subject matter and how it is taught in class.
18. #13 we don't have to fund him. He's an employee of the State
Jake   (01.20.14)
19. #8, Just woke up, Mr. Van Winkle?
Jake   (01.20.14)
This type of fringe "counter-culture" has existed in Israel for decades, nurtured from abroad by those who who sought to harm Israel...used to be Communists, now primarily academia, foreign NGO's and governments.
20. #14 The issue is about tax shekels funding propagandists
Jake   (01.20.14)
poisoning young minds with anti-Israel mantras inspired by Israel's enemies abroad.
21. No taxpayer money for traitors teaching kids.
Bunnie Meyer ,   Los Angeles, CA USA   (01.21.14)
22. Where are we heading? ABYSS?
Sam1am ,   Yehud, Israel   (01.21.14)
The leftists will not be satisfied until they brainwash everybody.... It is already a leftist agenda in our universities, now they want to start earlier and take Israel back to the failed SOCIALIST SYSTEM, WHERE EVERYBODY WAS EQUAL and POOR.
23. Just make sure you don't employ these students in the future
tom ,   tel aviv   (01.21.14)
24. Haifa has become a Leftist city
Yoav Naor ,   Haifa Israel   (01.21.14)
Haifa is infested with Arabs and Israelis from the crazy Left....This beautiful city has been hijacked by these nutters...
25. Teachers may **and should**
A Jersalemite ,   Jerusalem, Israel   (01.21.14)
encourage discussion of political subjects in school, but must never take a stand or express their own opinions. Teacher's opinions have a strong impact on their pupils. To express their own ideas is overly influential. OTOH to encourage open discussion and expression of personal opinions by the students is true education.
26. Utopia Dystopia
Purity of Arms   (01.21.14)
The teachers comments are even uncertain tho he sways so called left in some aspects and ultra anti humanitarian in Others.In truth the Israeli army is sometimes far from moral .But it here are others much worse actually Barbric and In Syria right now you realize it .WW2 was immensely Barbaric except possibly the North African sector which was horribly cruel -Soldiers burning in tanks but had some chivalry -Taking of Prisoners and Geneva convention treatment .As for viva Palestinian -well does not exclude the Jewish state necessarily but Palestinians are big on Holocaust Denial .Thats free Speech .Its also illegal in many lands particularly Germany .
27. Free speech or treason.
Shimrit Manning ,   UK   (01.21.14)
This is not a free speech, this is treason!! This teacher should be put to trial for treason. There is no other country in the world that allows such unpatriotic acts in its educational institutions.
28. @2
Ethan Schwartz ,   Eilat   (01.21.14)
Because you have fallen over the edge. Most Israelis don't belong to any extreme and are both "right" and "left" and serve our country with distinction..
29. #24 They can dream but they will never get it.
Jake   (01.21.14)
It's a city that went through the 2nd Intifada and the 2006 Hizbullah bombardments. Despite the occasional pandemonium now and then at Haifa University by the anti-Israel crowd (mostly Arabs from outside the city), most people are unphased by this nonsense.
Back to article