and the bottom line and the message that I took away was: Knesset spars over ousting left-wing NGO from schools Don’t enlist in the IDF,” one of the students told the com- MK Gilon: Breaking the Silence is more Zionist than all the people here mittee. • By LIDAR GRAVE-LAZI speak in schools, as six MKs school principals invited the the bill. When asked if the students were removed from the meet- group to speak to teachers and Meretz MK Zehava Gal-On were explicitly told not to Breaking the Silence stands ing for disruptive behavior. students, defying the directive. also called Breaking the Silence enlist, the student said, “they at the head of the industry of Forer addressed the commit- On Tuesday, Bennett gave his “patriotic” and accused those didn’t say it straight out, but lies against the State of Israel, tee and said that the group support for new legislation that calling for its removal for pro- you could infer, I inferred this MK Amir Ohana (Likud) said slanders Israel to the world all would ban organizations that moting “a paranoid education from their speech, they said at a Knesset Education, Sports while receiving funding from testify against Israel in interna- system that doesn’t deal with this is not the army that you and Culture Committee meet- foreign governments. tional forums from schools. criticism.” want to enlist in.” ing on Wednesday. “The organization was caught The bill was submitted by “We want groups in schools Avichai Shorshan, from Ffae- Ohana made these remarks collecting classified materials MKs Shuli Moalem-Refaeli and who are pluralistic and not met Sheli (My Truth) said that in a very heated discussion, and information on IDF activ- Bezalel Smotrich from Ben- groups justifying the occupa- the UN and even Ffamas quote which he initiated together ity and we must not give them nett’s Bayit Yehudi party. tion,” she said. Breaking the Silence in their with MK Oded Forer on the the right to educate our chil- Meretz MK Ilan Gilon The committee also heard criticism against Israel. activity of NGO Breaking the dren,” he said. responded to the criticism testimony from NGOs calling “A murderous organization Silence, which provides in Forer noted that over a year against the group and lashed for the removal of Breaking the like Hamas that wants the schools anonymous testimo- ago he appealed to Education out at right-wing politicians. Silence from schools. eradication of Israel... is using nies of soldiers that describe Minister Naftali Bennett and He slammed the education Amit Deri, founder and chair- Breaking the Silence materi- alleged IDF transgressions. called on him to remove the minister and Prime Minister man of Reservists on Duty, an als,” he said. “Breaking the Silence does group from schools, “though Benjamin Netanyahu as being anti-BDS organization, said Matan Peleg, CEO of right- this in an attempt to present nothing was done on the the ones who slander Israel to “We were in every school that wing NGO Im Tirtzu told the IDF soldiers as vicious [and] issue,” he said. the world and said they were Breaking the Silence lectured committee that the organiza- who systematically abuse the Last year Bennett banned the “competing over who has the in, we came immediately after.” tion accuses not only the IDF, locals,” he said. “This poison group from the education sys- bigger flag.” Deri came to the meeting but “all of Israeli society of war against IDF soldiers and the tem for disseminating “lies and “Breaking the Silence is more together with two twelfth crimes.” State of Israel that Breaking the propaganda against the IDF.” Zionist than all the people grade students from the Her- “This is a dangerous propa- Silence creates, we must stop Yet despite this directive prin- here,” he said. zliya Gymnasium School in Tel ganda organization that has and say: ‘Not in our schools.’” cipals were not deterred from “The hypocrites are the most Aviv who recounted Breaking no connection to education. MKs from the Right and the inviting representatives of the repulsive,” he said, referring to the Silence's lecture. Lies are not educational, espe- Left sparred over whether the group to speak at their school. Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid “They didn’t act objectively, dally when they are funded group should be allowed to In the past month, three high who threw his support behind they gave us a one sided version by foreign governments,” he said. Committee chairman Yaa- kov Margi noted that the group itself was not present for the discussion, though it had been invited. He read a “cynical” response from Breaking the Silence, which stated: “Unfortunately we cannot attend [the Knesset discussion] because we are busy with our activities with youth.” The discussion concluded without reaching any conclu- sions though Margi said the MK AMIR OHANA (Likud) addresses a discussion at the Knesset committee would reconvene yesterday on the admissibility of Breaking the Silence members soon to discuss the issue more as speakers to high-school students. (F1ash90) in depth. Lahav Harkov contributed to this report..