In its sitting on Wednesday, the Knesset Plenum voted to approve in preliminary reading the State Education Bill (Amendment—Prohibition on Public Speaking at an Educational Institution for a Person Convicted of an Offense of Terrorism, Racism or Treason), 2024, sponsored by MK Alon Schuster (Blue and White—National Unity Party). In the vote, 22 Members of Knesset supported the bill, without opposing votes, and it will be turned over to the Education, Culture and Sports Committee for deliberation.
It is proposed to amend the State Education Law and not to permit a person who has been convicted of an offense of terrorism, incitement to racism or treason against the state to address students in educational institutions, unless he has received authorization to do so from the supervisory official. This removal from such institutions will be for the duration of the expungement period as defined in the Criminal Information Law. It is proposed to allow the Minister of Education to instruct the withholding of temporary or permanent support for the budgeting of an educational institution that acted in contravention of these provisions.
The explanatory notes to the bill state: “We have recently witnessed the appearances of people convicted of aiding terrorism and incitement to terrorism before [university] students and schoolchildren. This is cynical use of the platform of various educational institutions to create delegitimization for the State of Israel and its basic values as a Jewish and democratic state, and it is highly dangerous for the state and society. At times, these appearances lead to outbursts of violence and unrest in the place in which they are held. This activity is even more destructive, since it is held at institutions budgeted by the state, and consequently it is funded indirectly by all of the state’s citizens.”
