Israeli history teacher arrested for allegedly justifying barbaric acts carried out by Hamas

“Israeli soldiers didn’t rape Palestinians? They have since 1948, and this doesn’t make it into the textbooks,” the teacher wrote in a messaging group

Published on: Nov 13, 2023, 07:03:26 IST

By Sumanti Sen

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A history teacher who worked at a school in the central city of Petah Tikva was arrested on Friday, November 10, for allegedly justifying the barbaric acts carried out by Hamas terrorists in Israel.

Israeli soldiers and volunteers from the Zaka Israeli ultra-Orthodox Jewish emergency response team searches through the debris in Kibbutz Beeri near the border with Gaza on November 12, 2023, in the aftermath of an attack by Palestinian militants on October 7 (Photo by GIL COHEN-MAGEN / AFP) (AFP)

“Israeli soldiers didn’t rape Palestinians? They have since 1948, and this doesn’t make it into the textbooks,” the teacher wrote in a messaging group with other teachers. His comments appeared to justify the fact that Hamas raped women, as some reports claimed.

In a separate instance, he wrote, seemingly defending Hamas, “An occupied nation is allowed to do anything that is needed in order to succeed in its struggle.” The teacher was removed from the school by the Petah Tikva municipality and Education Ministry, after a complaint was filed.

The investigation continues. His custody was extended at least until Monday, November 13, according to The Times Of Israel.

It has been reported that the teacher had extended support for terror in the past, and disparaged security forces. He even eulogised a terrorist. He allegedly said earlier this year that a person involved in a car-ramming attack “was not a terrorist.” He has also been accused of sharing online posts that encouraged attacks on cops and soldiers.

The teacher once allegedly referred to Israeli Air Force pilots as “child murderers” and urged high school students not to serve in the army. “They know well what the results will be, and still they chose to obey,” he wrote of the pilots.

“We take seriously this case in which a history teacher who educates children in a school in Israel, distorts history, calls IDF pilots murderers, justifies the actions of the enemy and aids the enemy in times of war, among other things, by fabrications that include blaming IDF soldiers,” police said in a statement, according to the Israeli outlet Mako.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sumanti Sen
Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More

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