Israeli authorities have arrested an educator from northern Israel for posting a video on social media that initially appeared to celebrate the October 7 Hamas attacks, as the nation marked one year since the deadly assault, although this was later slammed as a misinterpretation of the meaning of the video.
The 41-year-old woman from Tamra, in the Lower Galilee, uploaded a TikTok video of herself dancing at a Nazareth school where she works to the song "Another Good Time," with a caption that reads, "On this day 7/10/23," but it then turned out that this video had in fact been uploaded well before the war broke out and may have just been simply reposted under the "on this day" option on TikTok.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir commented on the early morning arrest, stating: "A teacher from a Nazareth school uploaded a video to social media yesterday, showing herself dancing to the song 'Good Times' with the date 7.10.23 in the background. I forwarded the footage to the team I established within the Israel Police to handle online incitement, and she was promptly arrested at her home in Tamra. We have zero tolerance for incitement and terrorism supporters."
מורה מבי"ס בנצרת העלתה אתמול לרשתות החברתיות תיעוד כשהיא רוקדת לצלילי השיר זמנים טובים על רקע התאריך 7.10.23 העברתי את התיעוד לצוות לטיפול בהסתות ברשת שהקמתי במשטרת ישראל, והיא נעצרה מיידית בביתה שבטמרה.
אפס סובלנות להסתה ולתומכי טרור! pic.twitter.com/8kvTVryQsH— איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) October 8, 2024
Knesset Member Limor Son Har-Melech (Otzma Yehudit) sent a letter to Education Minister Yoav Kisch demanding the immediate dismissal of the "educator." She wrote: "As the people of Israel attempt to heal from the horrors of the October 7 massacre, it's unthinkable that individuals within our education system would express joy and support for such atrocities."
Son Har-Melech added: "Terrorism supporters among us pose a clear and immediate danger and must be dealt with decisively. It's unacceptable for someone educating future generations to express support for such acts or convey any legitimacy for terrorism to their students. Such teachers cannot remain in our education system for even one more day. Given the severity of this act, I demand her immediate dismissal and an examination into revoking any dismissal benefits to clearly demonstrate that any support, overt or covert, for terrorism, will face the full force of the law. The education system must send a message of zero tolerance for terrorism supporters and their ideologies."
Kisch addressed the educator's arrest, writing: "I commend the Israel Police for their decisive action. This is what we expect and how they should respond to any display of incitement and support for terrorism. I want to clarify that this is not a teacher employed by the Ministry of Education, but an external instructor. While the investigation into her case is ongoing, and certainly if she is found guilty, she will not set foot in the education system again."
The suspect will be brought before the Nazareth Magistrate's Court, where authorities will request an extension of her detention.
