Ran Erez, chairman of Israel's Teachers Union, on Saturday night called high school teachers who are not striking "parasites."
Erez made the comment during an interview with Channel 13 News, claiming that those teachers who are not participating in the strike are "parasites and the fifth column." According to him, they are placing "the mark of Cain" on their own foreheads.
Education Minister Yoav Kisch responded: "No, Ran, our teachers are not 'parasites' or a 'fifth column.' They are heroes who gave and give everything for their students, they are educational leaders who saved the last school year and those who see a difference between being insistence on ego and a just struggle."
"How can you dare to speak this way? How can you dare to threaten to strike for months? How can you dare to decree on these dedicated teachers, who you supposedly have been representing for 30 years, holidays without a salary?"
Meanwhile, beginning on Sunday, local authorities will operate informal educational settings for high school students.
In a social media post, Kisch wrote, "This is a varied alternative and supervised setting, which will include various interests and enrichment, social, emotional, and value activities, to provide a solution for our youth, who have endured so much over the past year."