Israel Teachers Union Delays Classes Following Violence Against Staff

The Israel Teachers Union announced that classes will start at 10:00 AM at the Katzir C Kindergarten in Ashkelon, the Hadas Kindergarten in Sderot, and the Galim School in Eilat following a wave of violent incidents directed at educational staff.

According to the union, an incident in Ashkelon involved a father whose child attends Katzir C Kindergarten. After repeatedly ringing the bell at an adjacent kindergarten within the same complex, the local teacher explained that the gate opens according to regulations. The father allegedly began cursing and uttering humiliating remarks.

When the assistant went to open the gate, the man forcefully pushed it open and entered with his child. When asked to leave, he threatened the teacher, stating, "If you weren't a woman, I would tear you apart." The staff contacted the security officer and activated the panic button. The teacher suffered a panic attack, prompting the dispatch of MDA emergency medical teams and police forces.

In Sderot, a teacher at Hadas Kindergarten asked a mother to bring a change of clothes for her child. Upon arrival, the mother reportedly shouted, cursed, and threatened the staff, including a trainee teacher. The municipal security officer and city policing unit were called to the scene.

Meanwhile, at Galim School in Eilat, a series of violent incidents were reported in a special education fourth-grade class. In one instance, a special education teacher attempted to stop a student from hitting a classmate and was kicked in the leg. In another incident, a student pulled a female classmate's hair until a clump was torn out, and a teacher was scratched while intervening. The student also threw Lego pieces and hurled chairs across the classroom.

Union representatives noted that two additional teachers were injured that same week, leaving staff members fearing for their safety and demanding adequate tools to address the recurring violence.