Bnei Brak School Entrance Welded Shut Amid Sectarian Dispute
Students arriving at the "Ofakim" state-religious elementary school in Bnei Brak on Monday morning discovered the main entrance gate had been welded shut, preventing them from entering. Another gate was also found locked. Parents and children were kept outside until police were called to open the gate. The incident is reportedly linked to an ongoing dispute over the school's relocation to a shared complex with a nearby Haredi institution.
Parents allege that the neighboring Haredi institution objects to the co-educational nature of "Ofakim," where boys and girls learn together. They claim that partitions were erected as part of an effort to separate the institutions, and a conflict arose over which gate "Ofakim" students should use.
One individual familiar with the situation described the act as "ugly and shocking," questioning the suitability of such an action towards young children. City Council member Yaakov Vider visited the scene, confirmed the gate was opened, and called for an investigation into the incident, vowing to follow the matter closely.
The Bnei Brak municipality denied any involvement in welding the gate shut. They stated that multiple educational institutions operate within the complex and that the city had invested in creating separate, designated entrances for each. According to the municipality, the "Ofakim" school management ignored these prior agreements and chose to use a different gate, leading to the situation. The municipality urged the school's management to act responsibly and for all parties to respect the arrangements to maintain peace within the complex.
