"Enough to racism"
Photo: Yaron Brener
Students, parents demonstrate against discrimination
Some 100 pupils and their parents protest against Petah Tikva schools' refusal to accept Ethiopian immigrants, block traffic in city. Five are detained for investigation. Executive director of Ethiopian rights group: Revoke religious schools' licenses
Some 100 students and their parents demonstrated in Petah Tikva against the schools' lack of willingness to accept the city's Ethiopian students.
They moved between various junctions in the city, blocking traffic in protest. They carried signs emblazoned with slogans such as "Enough with discrimination," "Enough with racism," and "Since when do schools teach racism?"
Until now, no city official has left City Hall in order to make a statement.
Protesters on the street. "Since when do schools teach racism?" (Photo: Yaron Brener)
The police detained five protesters of Ethiopian descent for blocking traffic.
Danny Kassahon, executive director of the umbrella organization, Representatives of Ethiopian Jewish Community Organizations, praised the protesters and the education minister's decision to stop State funding of schools that refuse to accept Ethiopian students.
"I praise the budget denial move," Kassahon said, "but one more move remains – to revoke the school operating license so that that they must close down."
"I have no problem with the students learning in the public secular school system, but on one condition – that the public religious schools are closed down," he said.
Michal, a Kfar Saba resident came to Petah Tikva in order to support the community. "This struggle is connected to all of Israeli society, to all the sectors," she said to Ynet. "Today it's them, tomorrow it's us."
Raanan Ben Zur contributed to this report
