During a heated session of the Knesset Education Committee on Tuesday morning concerning the integration of Arab teachers into the Hebrew education system, Arab MKs clashed with Committee chairman MK Tzvi Sukkot (Religious Zionist Party). Sukkot presented a clear set of values and requirements as a prerequisite for the integration of Arab teachers into Jewish schools.
The discussion revealed that hundreds of Arab teachers currently employed in the Hebrew education system received their training and teaching credentials from the Palestinian Authority or Jordan. According to the data, in 2025, approximately 120 out of 701 Arab teachers studied in the PA, while another 84 studied in Jordan.
The session saw a sharp exchange between Sukkot and committee member MK Sameer Bin Said (Hadash-Ta’al). Sukkot asked Bin Said point-blank whether Hamas is a terrorist organization. Initially, Bin Said avoided a direct answer, responding angrily: "You will not test me every single time. You are not an interrogator. I am an Israeli living here in coexistence." He later added: "I am against any terrorist organization."
MK Sukkot responded: "If you, the leaders of the Arab public in the Knesset, are unwilling to declare that Hamas is a terrorist organization - that is a problem. Hamas massacred Israeli citizens, and we have seen data here about teachers who studied at Hamas-run universities. Integrating educators across sectors has significant implications, and that is why we are here to discuss it. We will not allow the blurring of Jewish identity; teachers who support terrorism will not enter Jewish schools. A teacher who studied at a Hamas university will find it difficult to stand before children whose parents are fighting Hamas."