Israel’s Education Ministry is examining whether to halt millions of shekels in funding to the Secondary School Teachers Association over suspicions that the organization falsely registered approximately 2,000 teachers who were not actually members in order to receive funding for them, Kan News reported.

The review comes amid a public dispute between Education Minister Yoav Kisch and the association’s chairman, Ran Erez. Kisch’s office maintains that the examination began several months ago, while the teachers association claims it is retaliation for its campaign against the minister.

“Ran Erez is once again choosing the path of threats, intimidation and political campaigns on the backs of teachers, while wasting millions of shekels of their money,” the Education Ministry said in response.

“The education minister is committed first and foremost to the teachers, the students and the education system, and will not allow them to be harmed. The school year will open as scheduled,” the ministry added.

The Secondary School Teachers Association said it was unaware of any investigation of any kind and argued that, had such an examination existed, the organization would have been informed before the media.

“It is not surprising that instead of confronting a major campaign over his failed performance and improving his work, the education minister is attempting to misuse his governmental power and seek refuge in false accusations and smears, in the form of an ‘investigation’ that suddenly appears with perfect timing following the campaign, in an attempt to silence the teachers,” the association said.

“The Secondary School Teachers Association operates lawfully, under the constant supervision and oversight of the Education Ministry, the Finance Ministry and the Registrar of Associations. There has never been any problem with its reports, which have always received confirmation of proper reporting and sound management,” it added.

Last week, Erez threatened to shut down the high-school education system during the coming school year unless teachers are paid for the June 8 workday during what has been dubbed the “17-hour war” with Iran. The phrase refers to the brief round of fighting with Iran that lasted roughly one day; schools were ordered closed that day, including for remote learning, and the Finance Ministry later instructed that teachers not be paid for it.

At a press conference, Erez sharply criticized Kisch, saying: “It would have been better had he done nothing, because then he would not have caused damage. We are heading to a bad place. There are no teachers, and there is no teacher training. The education minister is engaged in politics and headlines alone. He is the first minister who did not consult with us or speak with us.”

Kisch’s office responded at the time: “After more than 30 years of Ran Erez heading the Secondary School Teachers Association, it is difficult to point to a single significant achievement he secured for teachers. His main legacy is threats, recycled headlines and strikes.”

“Instead of strengthening the status of teachers, he repeatedly chooses low-level discourse, personal smears and unrestrained attacks against every education minister who has served, while turning Israel’s students into hostages in his personal battles and severely harming the continuity of their studies and the education system as a whole,” the minister’s office said.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)