Pro-Palestinian Signs Found at Givatayim School Spark Parental Concern

Parents at the Katznelson school in Givatayim were alarmed to discover pro-Palestinian signs placed in the schoolyard on two separate occasions last week. The handwritten signs, written in English, contained messages such as "The genocide continues" and a tribute to Ouda Alhadhalin, a Palestinian educator from the southern Hebron hills who was killed by an Israeli settler. The settler, Yinnon Levi, was indicted for negligent homicide two months ago.

According to a parent representative, the first sign was found and reported to the police, who collected it for examination. Three days later, another sign with a similar message appeared in the same location. Parents have filed official complaints with the police, expressing concern over the lack of updates on the investigation and whether security footage is being reviewed to identify those responsible.

The incidents have caused significant anxiety among parents, with some expressing apprehension about sending their children to school after the Sukkot holiday, especially with the third anniversary of the October 7th attacks approaching. The Givatayim Municipality stated that it views the incident with utmost severity, has removed the signs, and is cooperating with the police to investigate the circumstances and apprehend those responsible. The municipality indicated that the incident was confined to the Katznelson school.

The police confirmed that the matter is under investigation. The Ministry of Education issued a statement emphasizing that schools will not be used for political propaganda and that they will act with all available means against such attempts. They noted that the incidents occurred while the school was closed for the holiday.