The Islamic Movement's infiltration into the Israeli Arab education system could have inspired the recently-exposed suspected global terror cell in Nazareth, Chairman of the Knesset's Education, Culture and Sports Committee Zevulun Orlev said Tuesday, during a special session concerning the movements increased influence in northern Israel.

	Zevulun Orlev.
	Photo by: Emil Salman

Speaking in the specially convened committee session, titled "Worried about the infiltration of the Islamic Movement to schools and kindergartens," Orlev postulated whether it was "possible that the Islamic Movement had poisoned the souls of the young Arabs arrested yesterday and suspected to have worked for Al Qaida?"

The Union-National Religious Party MK was thus referring to the Monday arrest of seven Nazareth men, suspected of establishing a terror cell inspired by global jihad.

Later in the discussion, Yisrael Beiteinu MK Anastasia Michaeli chose to read the portion relating to Israel's Arab minority from Israel's Independence Declaration, saying: "We appeal - in the very midst of the onslaught launched against us now for months - to the Arab inhabitants of the State of Israel to preserve peace and participate in the upbuilding of the State."

Michaeli then added that the children who would be educated in the Islamic Movement kindergartens would "grow up in an atmosphere that supports terrorism, to be adults who do not believe in peaceful cooperation."

"We must work toward instilling the love of others and the love of the Land of Israel and to work against those who teach hate and separation," the Yisrael Beiteinu MK added.

Yisrael Beiteinu's Alex Miller, who initiated the special session, said that his office was "piling up with the letter of many parents who are pleading for help over the infiltration of the Islamic Movement, and who claim their children are being exposed to radical content, affected by ignorance and turn to unemployment and crime."

Miller also called on the "Ministry of Education to name more supervisors and increase enforcement in order to combat the issue."

United Arab List-Ta’al MK Masud Ganaim said in response that there are "no fears within the Arab sector of an infiltration of the Islamic Movement," saying that the Jewish education system also "includes several strands linked to certain political parties."

"We know of 500 unofficial kindergartens in the North, of which 100 are sponsored by the Islamic Movement. The Ministry of Education has received complaints of kindergartens and schools that do not operate according to the law, conducts hearings to school principles and revokes license."

"Despite the fact that licenses are revoked, some institutions continue to operate, necessitating the help of the police in order to enforce the decisions."