MK Amit Halevi Reveals Struggle to Remove Terror-Supporting Teachers from Israeli Schools
MK Amit Halevi detailed in an interview with Channel 7 his efforts to pass legislation allowing the dismissal of teachers who support terrorism from the Israeli education system. He described the surprising discovery that, prior to the law, expressing support for terrorism was not grounds for firing educators. Halevi emphasized that even teachers who openly showed sympathy for terrorist acts could legally continue teaching, which he called a "ticking time bomb" threatening Israeli society.
Halevi recounted bringing Arab students to a Knesset committee who testified about teachers and instructors participating with students in violent acts such as stone-throwing during school breaks. He cited police data showing hundreds of students involved in such disturbances. He also referenced the case of American lone soldier Roza Lubin, murdered by a student from a nearby school known for indoctrinating future terrorists.
Despite expecting unanimous support, Halevi faced strong opposition not only from opposition lawmakers but also from government legal advisors, civil servants, and the Shin Bet security service. He proposed cross-checking teachers’ ID numbers against those under investigation for terror support, but the legal counsel initially rejected this due to privacy concerns. After prolonged debate, the check was approved and revealed dozens of teachers linked to terrorism. However, the Shin Bet admitted that the list was discarded following instructions from the legal advisor, preventing any action against those teachers.
Halevi criticized this approach, attributing it to a flawed worldview that fails to recognize ideological terror infrastructure and national identity. He argued that the legal advisor’s stance reflects a broader trend that prioritizes universal civil concepts over national security realities, thus ignoring the true nature of the enemy and allowing terror-supporting educators to remain in the system.
