Adalah to the Minister of Education: Conditioning State Funding to Arab Public Schools on their ‘Loyalty to the State’ Amounts to Illegal Discrimination

Today, Adalah staff attorney Marwan Dalal sent a letter to the Minister of Education, Limor Livnat, regarding her recent announcement that additional funding to Arab public schools would depend on their show of  “loyalty to the State.” In the letter, Mr. Dalal harshly denounced the decision as blatant discrimination, illegal both in its intent and its application. Minister Livnat justified this criteria for added funding, based on accusations of disloyalty amongst Arab educational institutions. The Minister’s decision contradicts international human rights law that protects the rights of native national minorities to learn, educate, and develop their culture and heritage as they see fit. Moreover, the Minister’s decision violates Israeli law, as it exceeds the reasonable boundaries of her administrative discretion.