Teacher posts hate speech against slain hostage's mother, could be fired

Teacher from Herzliya slams Iris Haim, mother of Yotam, who was accidentally killed while escaping captivity in Gaza; Education Minister Yoav Kisch summons him for a hearing

A teacher from Herzliya criticized Iris Haim, the mother of Yotam, who was mistakenly killed as he and two others escaped captivity in Gaza. "She's been glowing since her son's death," the teacher wrote and later apologized. "A person is entitled to their opinions, but a teacher must support unity," Education Minister Yoav Kisch said. Iris responded: "I have decided to continue advocating for unity. I forgive him."
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איריס חיים בוועידת "האנשים של המדינה"
איריס חיים בוועידת "האנשים של המדינה"
Iris Haim
(Photo: Yariv Katz)
Education Minister Yoav Kisch announced on Sunday that he would dismiss the teacher from Herzliya, who spoke out against Iris Haim in a post on the X platform.
"Can we say she's intolerable already? She's a disgusting Bibist who has been glowing since her son's death. I'm glad she was uplifted, but why do we have to tolerate her in the studios?" wrote Yotam Gutman, the teacher. He apologized on Sunday, however. "I apologize for yesterday's post. It was not right to disrespect her and I ask for her forgiveness," he wrote.
Kisch called on the Herzliya municipality to deal with the teacher.
"I was shocked this morning by the outrageous remarks of the Herzliya teacher against Iris Haim, the late Yotam Haim's mother," Kisch said. "Iris is an exemplary symbol of strength and unity in the nation. Unity and the desire for victory are the messages of Iris and those are the messages that teachers and educators need to convey to the younger generation. Every person is entitled to their views and a teacher must separate their duty from their grievances. I turned to the municipality to summon the teacher to a hearing and his continued employment will be examined."
The Herzliya municipality said in a statement that "the municipality takes the matter seriously and is conducting an urgent investigation into the matter."
Iris is the mother of Yotam, who on December 15 managed to escape captivity with two other hostages, Samar Talalka and Alon Shamriz, but was accidentally shot by IDF fire. She became a symbol of unity in Israel after she forgave the soldiers involved in the incident. In a recording she sent to the soldiers she said, "I love you very much and I know that everything that happened is not your fault. We want to see you and hug you."
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איריס חיים עם בנה יותם חיים ז"ל
איריס חיים עם בנה יותם חיים ז"ל
Iris Haim and the late Yotam Haim
(Photo: Private album)
Iris responded to the incident on social media: "This morning when I woke up I understood something dramatic had happened. No soldier was killed at night, no hostages were rescued, there was no political agreement to return the captives. There was a tweet from a guy named Yotam Gutman calling me a disgusting Bibist. I don't have Twitter, so I didn't see it. It's interesting that his name is Yotam, last name Gutman. I have a good friend named Gutman."
"Many people wrote to me and offered to sue him for slander. Apparently, they also responded to him because he posted a cold and forced apology. The man serves as a teacher in Israel. There are others like him who distort things and write to me that I'm a Bibist, a derogatory term for anyone who does not oppose hatred, anger and division. I decided to continue speaking for unity, so I'm just sorry for you Yotam Gutman for choosing words that personally hurt me," she said.
"You could have written that you disagree with my opinions. Surely there would have been more people joining you. I ask to share this post because my message is that there is no place for words of hatred from any side. I forgive you Yotam Gutman just as I forgave the soldiers, the army. I hope you find peace within yourself. And next time you write hurtful words, think about your mother. She also has a son named Yotam," she also wrote.
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