MK Tzvi Sukkot Faces School Strike During Visit to Umm al-Fahm Over Education Oversight

MK Tzvi Sukkot visited schools in Umm al-Fahm on Sunday to inspect allegations of incitement within the education system. However, all schools were closed due to a strike declared by the local parents' committee and a citywide popular committee. The strike was called during an emergency meeting held the previous evening in response to Sukkot's planned visit, which aimed to review the school curricula.

Sukkot criticized the strike, accusing it of disrupting the city and students to avoid oversight. He stated he is awaiting representatives from the Ministry of Education and intends to continue his planned inspections regardless of the strike or any threats. He specifically condemned a photo allegedly published by one school showing Raed Salah, a controversial figure convicted multiple times for incitement to terrorism, lecturing students. Sukkot called this unacceptable in a properly functioning Israeli education system.

Emphasizing that state-funded education must be supervised, Sukkot declared there is no place exempt from oversight in Israel. Addressing Umm al-Fahm residents, he said he is not their enemy but is unafraid, acting as chairman of the Knesset Education Committee to monitor the education system funded by Israeli taxpayers. He warned that if schools are found inviting individuals convicted of incitement to terror to speak to students, he will work to cut their funding, ensuring no Israeli tax shekel supports such institutions.