Conference Program

Israel, a country characterized by deep political, ideological, and normative divisions both across and within communal groups, has long been marked by persistent controversy over the aims of education and the extent to which critical thinking is encouraged within the education system. These debates are inseparable from foundational questions concerning the distinction between political education and ideological indoctrination, and the proper goals of education. More than seventy-five years after its establishment, debates over the right to education and its proper nature in such a complex society remain deeply salient. Against this backdrop, the lecture examines the legitimate limits of teachers’ freedom of expression and their pedagogical responsibility to foster critical thinking, in light of the current legal framework and the need to safeguard relevant values.

Since the outbreak of the war in Israel and the Gaza Strip, a central question has become increasingly acute: how should educators act in such a context, and what obligations and limits should govern their role? Of particular note is the Baruchin case, which addresses teachers’ freedom of expression and their pedagogical commitment to engaging students with current events, including questions related to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict in general and the war in particular; however, the case was decided on technical grounds by a Regional Labor Court and therefore does not constitute binding precedent. Other incidents that have not reached the courts include cases in which teachers were summoned to internal inquiries for attempting to discuss current events in class and foster critical thinking; cases in which teachers were summoned to hearings due to opinions expressed outside the school, including on social media; and cases in which teachers were effectively barred from employment within the Ministry of Education following short-term arrests – later found to be unlawful – arising from pro-democracy demonstrations conducted outside the workplace. Recent research indicates that many teachers – especially Arab teachers and those holding left-wing views – experience fear regarding the expression of their opinions, leading to self-censorship and undermining their ability to engage students in meaningful discussion of current events. Taken together, these measures give rise to a demonstrable chilling effect.

That effect was intensified by formal political interventions, including a controversial 2024 amendment empowering political officials to dismiss teachers and reduce budgets on the basis of alleged “terrorist” expressions, without adequate procedural safeguards. This amendment is pending before the Supreme Court.

The lecture opens with a critical survey of Israel’s existing legal framework and then proposes reform grounded in educational theories that emphasize the duty to engage students with current events, cultivate critical thinking, and refrain from ideological indoctrination. It also draws on international law, as well as regional and domestic teachers’ ethical codes. The analysis further emphasizes students’ rights – particularly those of K–12 pupils – to a humanistic, values-based education. It proposes a new approach grounded in lessons drawn from the South African Constitution concerning the right to education, and in the application of restorative justice to educational challenges, enabling students to imagine and evaluate alternative futures.