Leftist teacher Adam Verete
Leftist teacher Adam VereteFlash 90
A special ceremony was held in Kiryat Tivon near Haifa on Sunday night, honoring the high school student Sapir Sabah who exposed her teacher's virulent anti-Zionist preaching in the classroom. The ceremony was organized by former MK Michael Ben-Ari, Chairman of the Fund to Save Israel.

Sabah's teacher Adam Verete called the IDF "immoral," and claimed "Israel belongs to the Arabs, and the Jews have no business here"; he was let off with a warning by the ORT educational system.

The ceremony in support of Sabah was attended by 200 people from all over Israel, including right-wing activists and IDF reserve officers.

Ben-Ari's Fund to Save Israel presented Sabah with the "Prize of the Jewish State," along with a monetary prize and a book on Colonel Dror Weinberg Hy''d, who fell in battle with terrorists in Hevron in 2002.

IDF officer (res.) Dr. Gadi Eshel spoke, analyzing the motivation of the political left to work against the interests of the state by pushing a boycott on Israel. In response to Verete's attack on the IDF, Lieutenant Col. (res.) Shaul Halfon spoke about the important of military service.

Singer Dudu Elharar criticized the hypocrisy of the left, saying "let them evacuate the settlement of Tel Aviv before they talk about Judea and Samaria." Elharar added that teachers have a position of authority over their impressionable students, and therefore must be wary in their freedom of expression.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, Sabah was called to the stage and told of how Verete insulted and degraded her over many months in front of her class, all because of her Zionist opinions.

Leftists scuffled with event attendants outside hall

As for the fact that Verete was let off with only a warning, Attorney Itamar Ben-Gvir, who represents Sabah, accused the education system of "rounding corners." "It's hard to believe that a teacher who harmed his student in such a serious manner continues to serve in the same school," remarked Ben-Gvir.

Ben-Gvir also attacked the media for covering up for Verete, leading some to say "freedom of speech is reserved for leftists." According to Ben-Gvir, "what was revealed in the media is just the very tip of the severe behavior of a teacher who degraded his student based on her opinions."

Outside of the hall, leftist extremists gathered to protest the event, some of them allegedly pushing and cursing participants of the ceremony as "fascists." One of the leftists protested that "it's unacceptable that they (right-wingers) are arriving from Hevron to destroy the place for us, Tivon is not Hevron."

Attendants of the event who were pushed did not turn the other cheek; the two sides confronted each other until SWAT police intervened and separated the two groups.

Right-wing activist Baruch Marzel said at the event that it was the first time he heard leftists shout at him "this is Tivon, go home to Hevron" (usually, leftists tell him to leave Hevron, because they think that Jews should not live there). Marzel promised "the part of the nation of Israel that is mentally healthy will continue to be in Tivon as well as Hevron."

'The most moving evening in my life'

Ben-Ari summarized the night, saying there are certain statements not covered by freedom of expression.

"A man who returns to his home, a nation that returns to its land; there is nothing to debate on that, and there is nothing more just," argued Ben-Ari. "There is no freedom of expression to instigate rebellion and to incite against the IDF and against the Jewish state."

On Sunday night, Ben-Ari wrote on his official Facebook page "the education system occupies itself with awards of excellence for grades, while anti-Zionist teachers poison the wells in the name of freedom of expression." He added that Sabah "stood up and shocked the system. Verete mocked her in class, his friends in the media mocked and laughed at her. But Sapir Sabah taught Verete and his friends a lesson. Am Yisrael chai (the people of Israel lives)."

Sabah wrote a comment on Ben-Ari's post, saying "Michael, I truly can't thank you enough for everything you've done for me. For your support and the great efforts to ensure the event would come out well, as it indeed did. ...It was the most moving evening in my life, and it's all thanks to you."

Video from the event (in Hebrew) can be seen here:

Ceremony honoring Sapir Sabah Facebook