MK Merav Ben Ari Fails to Bar Political Opponent from School Panel

A political panel at the Tchernichovsky School in Netanya was nearly disrupted when MK Merav Ben Ari reportedly attempted to prevent attorney David Bavel, who is ranked 11th on the Otzma Yehudit party list, from participating. Bavel had been invited to the event alongside Ben Ari.

Shortly before the panel was scheduled to begin, Otzma Yehudit was informed that Bavel would not be allowed to attend, due to Ben Ari's objection. According to the school, the reason cited was a "legal matter" between Ben Ari and Bavel, stemming from a proceeding initiated at a commission following a complaint filed by Ben Ari against Bavel.

The teacher who organized the panel, in a conversation with the local Otzma Yehudit coordinator, stated that the participants had been coordinated long in advance and acknowledged the legal issue, admitting she was not fully aware of the details.

Otzma Yehudit opposed Bavel's exclusion, asserting that the attempt to bar him was unlawful. Ultimately, the effort to remove Bavel from the panel was unsuccessful, and he participated in the event as originally planned.