Schools across the northern Israeli city of Umm al-Fahm will be shut down Sunday, the local parents’ committee and the popular committee in the city announced, after Knesset member Tzvi Sukkot of the Religious Zionism party said he planned to visit educational institutions there and try to enter them, claiming he wanted to “examine the curriculum.”
“In light of the false and unacceptable accusations directed at our schools, as though they educate our children toward violence, we stress that this visit is a clear and unacceptable provocation against the principals, teachers, students and all residents of Umm al-Fahm," the committees said in a statement. "This is an attempt to exploit our educational institutions for political, personal and electoral propaganda.”
The city’s committees emphasized that “entry into schools is not the right of any person or entity without prior coordination, completion of official procedures and receipt of the required approvals from the authorized bodies. We view this as an unacceptable violation of the sanctity and independence of educational institutions. We express our full respect and appreciation for the education system and are proud of the educational mission of our schools. At the same time, we will not allow the schools to be exploited or turned into an arena for provocations, incitement or harm to the dignity of our students and teaching staff.”
The committees called on all parents to respect the decision and abide by it, “for the security and safety of our children, and so that schools remain a safe educational environment, far from political provocations.”
Tzvi Sukkot
(Photo: Knesset Spokesperson, Noam Moskowitz)
Sukkot said in response that the decision to shut schools instead of allowing him in makes the need for his visit even more acute.
“Those who give a lavish welcome to the great terror inciter Raed Salah and shut down all the schools in the city just to prevent oversight and supervision by the chair of the Knesset Education Committee have forgotten who is in charge here," he said.
"One cannot help but ask what they are trying to hide," he added. "An education system that operates legally and contains no incitement should not fear scrutiny. The decision to shut down the city and its educational institutions only reinforces the need to enter the schools, examine the study materials and ensure that the children of Israel are not exposed to content of incitement, hatred or support for terrorism. The education system must be a place that educates for shared life, not violence or incitement.”