The Union of Local Authorities in Israel (ULAI) called on Sunday for the government to secure educational institutions in the Israeli-Arab sector per prior promises.

According to ULAI, the government has failed to follow through with promises made in October 2011 to increase funding for a number of projects in the Israeli-Arab sector, including securing their educational institutions.

ULAI added that it and the local educational institutions under its umbrella have taken all necessary planning actions in order for a new security detail to operate and secure their institutions.

Yet, more than half-a-year after the promises were made, the government has not provided the funding for hiring the new security details.

Shlomo Bohbot, Chairman of ULAi noted that in light of the constant violence in the cities and towns where many Israeli-Arabs live, the challenge to preserving children´s safety at their local educational institutions only continues to grow.

Bohbot said this is especially true since the Israeli-Arab sector is underfunded across the board.

He pointed out that the state is investing significant resources in securing its international borders from outside threats and from illegal migrants.

While Bohbot recognized these projects as important, he highlighted that it is just as critical to secure the state´s children in their educational institutions from "day to day" threats.

He concluded by calling on the government to merely follow its own decisions by transferring the funds it has designated for securing Israeli-Arab schools.

The main role of ULAI, an umbrella organization established in 1938 for 265 local institutions and groups, is to look after the shared interests of all the local authorities and to represent them in their affairs with the government and its Ministries, the Knesset, and other public institutions.

Furthermore, ULAI advises the local authorities regarding the entire range of municipal matters including education, welfare, economy, water, security, status of women, labor relations, law and the courts. All of this takes place against the backdrop of a recent survey of the annual Jewish-Arab Relations Index – which has been carried out for the past 30 years by Prof. Sammy Smooha from the University of Haifa’s Jewish-Arab Center – which found that along with a deteriorating view of the Jewish state’s policies towards its Arab minority, some 58 percent of Israeli Arabs have accepted life in Israel, but 42% do not. Ruth Eglash contributed to this story. (© 1995-2011, The Jerusalem Post 06/17/12)