Mr Givan appeared to have travelled alongside several other unionist MLAs on what has been described as a fact-finding visit.
However, questions arose after his department shared information online about Mr Givan’s visit to a school located in the Jerusalem area, reports Breaking News.
In a statement, the Northern Ireland Teachers’ Council (NITC) condemned “the actions of the Department of Education and Education Minister Paul Givan in taking part in and promoting a tour hosted by Israeli officials”, reports Breaking News.
“The fact that the Education Minister has undertaken this tour in the context of what has been recognised by the UN as a genocide committed by Israel against the Palestinian people in Gaza, as well as Israel’s consistent disregard and abuse of international laws in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, is deeply troubling,” they said, reports Breaking News.
The NITC also criticised the publication of “inappropriate social media posts”, saying that “official governmental online platforms should be politically neutral”.
“The minister’s actions in promoting this visit on these platforms is an overtly political and divisive act that serves to diminish confidence in his judgment and respect for the views of the wider education workforce and community,” they said, reports Breaking News.
The NITC has called on the department to delete the social media posts and remove related stories from its official website.
The council further stated: “The minister should also be asked to explain his actions in accepting the invitation of the Israeli embassy at a time when senior officials of that state stand accused of war crimes,” reports Breaking News.
Alliance MLA Nick Mathison, who chairs the Stormont Education Committee, said that questions surrounding “the appropriateness of the minister’s trip must be answered”, reports Breaking News.
“Over the past two years, the world has watched in horror as Israel continued to commit atrocities in Gaza. It is clear that the Education Minister and his department have significant questions to answer,” he said, reports Breaking News.
He added that a recent statement issued by the Department of Education promoting the minister’s trip had caused further uncertainty about whether the visit was carried out as party business or official departmental work.
“There was no prior indication that this was a departmental engagement, making its promotion on official department platforms both surprising and inappropriate,” he said, reports Breaking News.
“There should be no blurring of the minister’s private political activity and the work of the department. It is vital that clarity on the role of the department in this trip is provided urgently,” he said, reports Breaking News.
Sinn Féin MLA Cathy Mason said: “I have written to the Education Minister to ask a series of questions, including who funded this trip and whether it was undertaken in an official ministerial capacity, or if elements of his visit have been carried out with departmental support, reports Breaking News.
“If not, I am requesting clarification as to why departmental social media has been used to comment on elements of this trip,” she said, reports Breaking News.
TUV deputy leader Ron McDowell, who also participated in the visit to Israel, said he had been invited by the Israeli embassy in London.
“The issues specific to the Education Minister are, of course, matters for him,” he said, reports Breaking News.
“While Sinn Féin seek to undermine the efforts to secure trade and partnership with the world’s only Jewish state and the only democracy in the Middle East, I am pleased to be part of a delegation seeking to build links,” he said, reports Breaking News.
The Department of Education has been contacted for comment, reports Breaking News.
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