UMM EL-FAHM — Knesset Education Committee Chair Zvi Sukkot visited Umm el-Fahm on June 28, 2026, during a strike by all educational institutions in the city. Sukkot, a member of the Religious Zionist Party, held an Israeli flag and a poster of Raed Salah, the leader of the banned northern branch of the Islamic Movement and former mayor of Umm el-Fahm.

Stating his visit's purpose was to inspect the education system, Sukkot said, "I am not your enemy. I am the chairman of the Knesset Education Committee and I came to inspect the education system." He added, "There is no Israeli flag on the main building as required by law, only three schools allow the Israel Police to enter citizenship classes and admit people like Raed Salah." Sukkot issued a warning regarding state funding, stating, "If they continue, then we will make sure that not a single shekel of state money enters the schools here." He concluded, "Those who give a magnificent welcome to the great inciter to terrorism, Raed Salah, and close all the schools in the city only to prevent criticism and oversight by [me, as] the chairman of the Knesset Education Committee have forgotten who is the boss here."

Yousef Jabareen, chair of the Hadash party and a resident of Umm el-Fahm, criticized the visit. Jabareen stated that Sukkot was "coming to Umm el-Fahm not in order to become acquainted or to learn, but in order to create a provocation and spread incitement and racism." He also described Sukkot as "an inciting and racist hilltop youth."

Why It Matters

The visit by a Knesset committee chair to schools during a strike, coupled with his statements regarding compliance with legal requirements and the potential withholding of state funds, touches on issues of educational oversight and the relationship between local and national authorities. The presence of an Israeli flag and a poster of a banned political figure during the visit, along with reactions from both Sukkot and local leadership, highlights ongoing tensions surrounding governance and identity within specific communities.