Naftali Bennett
Naftali BennettBen Kelmer/Flash 90

Education Minister Naftali Bennett (Jewish Home) was adamant Wednesday night that the Al Midan Theater's play based on the life of a terrorist who murdered IDF soldier Moshe Tamam be removed from the national Culture Basket. 

An Education Ministry initiative aimed at aimed at bringing arts and culture to young Israelis, the Culture Basket added the play "A Parallel Time" on the life of terrorist Walid Daka to its repertoire last April.

Responding to a Haaretz report that alleged members of the Theater Repertoire Committee were in no hurry to get rid of the play, Bennett asserted: "if the committee does not remove the show from the basket, I'll do it myself."

"A few days ago it came to my attention that the Education Ministry was funding (!) student visits to the play," Bennett wrote on Facebook, backing up the report that some 900 11th and 12th graders had seen the show in the past 14 months. 

"The group that determines this is the Culture Basket's Theater Repertoire Committee. I was told that they weren't aware [the terrorist the play is based off of] murdered a soldier. I ordered them to convene a meeting to have the play immediately removed from the basket."

"Now I read in the paper that the committee members intend to leave the play in the basket and even demonstrate against me for 'political interference.'"

Although acknowledging his hope the report is incorrect, Bennett noted that "if the committee does not not remove the play from the basket, I'll do it myself, and with the same breath investigate what's going on in the committee."

"The children of Israel will not be educated in the light of terrorists under my watch. Period," the Education Minister stressed.