The Education Ministry decided to summon an elementary school principal in the city of Umm al-Fahm after the school began the current academic year with songs praising the 'State of Palestine.' The lyrics included the phrase: "We are Palestinians and the capital of Palestine is Jerusalem."
Following an appeal by the Im Tirtzu movement to the Education Ministry and to Education Minister Naftali Bennett, it was decided to summon the principal for a hearing, and then to decide whether to take any disciplinary steps against her.
Senior Education Ministry officials spoke with the principal over the phone after a video showing students at the school happily singing the inciteful song was posted to social media. The principal apologized and stated that she had been unaware of the plans to play the songs. She promised that it would not happen again.
Nevertheless, the Education Ministry decided to summon her to a hearing in the coming days.
Matan Peleg, the chairman of the Im Tirtzu movement, said, "I congratulate the heads of the Education Ministry for their intention to stop the disgrace in which 'educators' allow incitement to flourish. The integration of members of the Arab sector within Israeli society is an important step, but it cannot [take place] at the expense of harming the State of Israel and its sovereignty."
"I hope that the expected hearing for the principal will be a clear warning sign for anyone who wants to harm the State of Israel, its symbols or its soldiers," Peleg added.