’Israeli’ MP Uses Electric Saw on Arab Town School Gate

By Staff, Agencies

A far-right "Israeli" lawmaker’s visit to an Arab town in the north has stirred controversy, with local leaders accusing him of a political provocation and attempting to block the trip.

"Knesset" Education Committee chairman Zvi Sukkot of the Religious Zionism party traveled to Tuba-Zangariyye last week under heavy police protection to discuss what he described as “crime and violence” in the local education system.

The leaders of the predominantly Bedouin Arab town in the Galilee region, however, made clear he was not welcome, calling the trip a “racist” political stunt rather than an educational tour, and locked the gates of a local school ahead of his arrival.

After being denied entry, Sukkot was filmed using an electric saw during a confrontation outside the school, and the footage quickly went viral.

“What we least expected was for a member of the 'Israeli' Knesset and the chairman of Israel’s Education Committee to behave in such a way,” Tuba-Zangariyye council head Muayyad Haib said, describing the visit as “extremely provocative” and saying it left some children “terrified.”

Haib said settlers opposed the visit because of Sukkot’s previous statements and actions toward the community, adding that the lawmaker proceeded with the trip despite the repeated objections of local officials.

Sukkot has defended his actions and vowed to push for cuts to state funding for schools, arguing that the "Israeli" entity should not invest “even one shekel” in such an education system.

The incident has fueled a wider political row, with critics accusing Sukkot of seeking confrontation for political gain.