Silence broken

Knesset passes bill keeping anti-IDF groups from schools

Left-wing NGOs deemed to be acting against the IDF and delegitimizing Israel will now be prevented from accessing schools and their students, after the Knesset approved the so-called ‘Breaking the Silence law’ Tuesday.

The law, proposed by MK Shuli Moalem-Refaeli (Bayit Yehudi), states that organizations delegitimizing the State of Israel, acting against IDF soldiers and the objectives of the Israeli education system will not be permitted to enter school premises or meet with students.

The law targets Breaking the Silence, an organization made up of former IDF soldiers who report about their negative experiences serving over the Green Line.

“Organizations that undermine Israel and besmirch IDF soldiers will no longer be able to reach Israeli students,” Education Minister Naftali Bennett said. “Breaking the Silence long ago crossed the red lines beyond legitimate discourse when they started libeling Israel in the international arena. As long as they operate against Israel and the IDF abroad, I won’t let them in the education system.”

Breaking the Silence called the bill “Bennett’s occupation silencing law” and said he passed it because the feared their organization.

“Bennett wants the schools to teach his view that it is justified to fire upon 8-year-old Palestinian children but forbidden to evacuate settlers,” a Breaking the Silence spokesman said, referring to the Bayit Yehudi leader’s support for targeting incendiary kite launchers, who are often children.

“The attempt close the mouths of Breaking the Silence will not prevent students from finding out about the occupation,” the spokesman said. “This proves how much Bennett and his friends fear their own ideology. If they want to close mouths, they should end the occupation.”