Israel teachers caught using ‘Black girls’ chat group to discuss Ethiopian students

Israeli teachers from the city of Netivot have been caught by their Ethiopian students communicating on a racist WhatsApp group chat called “Black Girls School Trip” while on a three-day field trip.

The students were sitting directly behind their teachers on a bus during a school trip on Sunday when they noticed their teachers laughing and texting, after which they looked over to find the group chat.

One of the girls then proceeded to take photos of the conversation and share it with the rest of the class in addition to publishing a message directed to the “disgraceful” staff on social media, attaching pictures of the offensive messages.

The pupil wrote: “Good morning to all the ‘educators’ of this school. It saddens me as a member of the Ethiopian community to see the level you sank to today. Instead of being our teachers and setting an example and making us feel like we’re in our safest place, you did the exact opposite.”

“Opening a group called ‘Black School Trip’ without even realising that there were students behind you and mocking your students? I see the photos, and I just don’t believe that they come from our teachers. You are a disgrace, I’m ashamed that you’re our teachers and that you’re teaching the future generation.”

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״טיול שנתי שחורות״ – אירוע מזעזע ודוחה הבוקר בטיול שנתי של בית הספר המר בנתיבות, מספר מורות נתפסו על חם שפתחו קבוצה בוואצפ על שם ״טיול שנתי שחורות״ בו הן ריכלו וצחקו על הבנות בבית הספר שלהן. הבנות שישבו מאחורה צילמו ושלחו לשאר הבנות בכיתה ונוצר כעס ומבוכה בין התלמידות, ולבסוף הן… pic.twitter.com/BUA05F3NPV

— daniel amram – דניאל עמרם (@danielamram3) March 12, 2023

The Ethiopian community constitutes only 1.6 per cent of the Israeli public and Ethiopian-Jewish citizens in Israel suffer from verbal racist abuse in public places.

According to the BBC, the Israeli teachers involved were suspended and have apologised.

In response, the school’s headmaster issued a statement expressing his “shock and devastation to miserable and extremely offensive comments from teachers about Ethiopian students who study in the school.”

“The school management looks at these comments severely. There is no place for racist comments, and we won’t allow them in our school,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Israeli Education Minister, Yoav Kisch, also denounced the teachers, stating: “The incident will be dealt with severely with all the tools at our disposal. I’m sorry for the distress that was caused for the students. There will be zero tolerance for these sorts of incidents on my watch.”

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