Supreme Court justices Yitzchak Amit, Ofer Grosskopf, and Gila Kanfi-Steinitz issued a conditional order to the state on Thursday, freezing a law that allows the Education Ministry to dismiss teachers who publicly support terrorism.

The order requires the state to explain why the law should not be repealed in response to petitions filed against it by the Arab Higher Monitoring Committee and a group of teachers.

The law, intended to address the scourge of incitement and support for terror in Israeli-Arab educational institutions, also allows the Education Minister to revoke funding from schools that employ the terror-supporting teachers.

The law was proposed by Otzma Yehudit MK Tzvika Fogel, who serves as the chairman of the Knesset’s National Security Committee. He responded to the ruling by stating, “The Supreme Court is once again acting to overturn a law that protects Israeli citizens—this time, the law I initiated to remove terror-supporting teachers from Israeli schools. It is unthinkable that someone who incites against the state should continue teaching. Thirty-five students exposed to incitement are 35 potential ticking bombs. I will not give up.”

Finance Committee chairman MK Chanoch Milwidsky attacked the justices, tying the move to previous decisions concerning the Charedi sector. “Yesterday the rebels in black robes took food away from teachers just because they belong to the Charedi sector. Today they’re blocking yet another Knesset law that allows the Education Ministry to fire teachers who support terror. I call on the education minister not to obey the Supreme Court’s illegal order and, wherever there are terror supporters in the system, to fire them immediately.”

Education Committee chairman MK Tzvi Sukkot announced an emergency committee meeting and called the ruling “a danger to the state’s future.” He added, “Whoever identifies with terror cannot and must not teach students. A Supreme Court that insists on protecting teachers who support terror is detaching itself from security reality and from the basic responsibility for the safety and education of Israel’s children.” Sukkot vowed that his committee would act to ensure that institutions supporting terror do not receive funding and concluded, “Teachers who support terror will not find their way into classrooms—period.”

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said, “The revocation of a law whose purpose is to prevent incitement and support for terrorism in the educational system is a serious moral distortion. The Supreme Court is providing backing to support for terrorism. The Court long ago lost its way. We will continue to stand behind the law that protects Israeli children and their future.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)