Israeli children get ready to start school (illustrative)
Israeli children get ready to start school (illustrative)Yonatan Sindel/Flash90

Several cities across Israel have banned Arab maintenance workers from entering municipal school grounds during the school day, Channel 2 reports Sunday, following pressure from concerned parents over the wave of Arab terror. 

In Givatayim, outside Tel Aviv, education boards are checking the legality of replacing all Arab workers with Eritrean-born illegal aliens, the report says, and the issue has already been sent to the Givatayim legal advisory for review under laws regarding illegal workers in central Israel. In addition, one school - the Shimoni school - has halted renovations for the time being, as the entire construction staff hails from Arab neighborhoods in Jerusalem. 

In Hod Hasharon, in the Sharon region, all non-pedagogical faculty members were banned from school grounds during school hours last week, including electricians, gardening, and janitorial staffs. 

Even Tel Aviv has taken precautions. 

"In light of the sensitive situation, the municipality has decided not to allow contractors/workers, both Jewish and Arab, to enter educational institutions for the purpose of ongoing work at the school," the Tel Aviv municipality stated. "After the end of the school day, contract workers may perform their work as usual." The statement did provide exceptions for emergencies, however. 

Petah Tikva Mayor Itzik Braverman told the daily that all "non-essential" work in schools had been halted for similar reasons. 

"Any work that is essential for school or completion of the work in schools has not been changed," he qualified, noting that all Israeli Arabs are checked for their blue ID cards at the beginning of the work day. 

The Rehovot municipality has taken stricter measures, halting all non-educational work in schools until further notice. 

Somewhat to the other extreme, schools in Ness Ziona have not halted their janitorial or other work, but instead have beefed up security. "20% of Israelis in this country are Arab, I cannot prevent them from going to work," mayor Yosi Shavu stated. 

The Ministry of Education stated that it did not release specific guidelines regarding non-educational workers in schools, as the Ministry is not responsible for contracting said workers.