Educational institutions in Israel that identify with terrorist activities or organisations can now be stripped of their funding, according to a new law passed on Tuesday.

The parliament in Jerusalem, the Knesset, passed the corresponding bill in its final reading.

The legislation also stipulates that teachers who have been convicted of terrorist offences or who publicly express support for terrorist attacks would be immediately dismissed.

Lawmaker Yosef Taieb from the ultra-Orthodox Shas party said, “We will not allow teachers who support terror to teach in the State of Israel.’’

A total of 55 out of 120 members of the Knesset voted in favour of the bill, while 45 voted against it.

The opposition delayed the vote on the controversial proposal with a filibuster for nearly 14 hours.

The explanation for the bill mentioned a phenomenon that mainly affects schools in East Jerusalem.

Israel captured and later annexed the Arab-dominated eastern part of Jerusalem in 1967.

Around 20 per cent of Israel’s 10 million inhabitants were Arabs.

However, the Jewish-Arab organisation Sikkuy-Aufoq, which advocated for equality for all citizens in Israel, described it as a “destructive law aimed at the persecution of teachers.’’

The initiators, they asserted, wanted to intimidate and silence teachers. 

(dpa/NAN)