(PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE)

Israeli firefighters began protesting against the new decision requiring applicants to the department having a full matriculation high school diploma as a condition for joining the service: “We never rescued a person from the flames that asked us how many units of English language we studied” firemen explain”.

The professional firefighters’ organization in Israel launched a protest against the decision of the Fire Chief Dudi Simchi, to require a full matriculation certificate as a prerequisite for serving as a firefighter. In response to the decision, firefighters without a full matriculation certificate began publishing their pictures on the social networks, holding a sign indicating how many lives they saved as part of the service, without having a matriculation certificate.

Avi Ankori, chairman of the firefighters’ union: “This is a strange decision that hurts many who risk their lives every day and we intend to act to change it”

Ankori added, “Since the new threshold conditions have been published, I have received countless angry calls from firefighters who claimed to be spitting in their faces. These are people who spend nights and days risking their lives for the public. This is a decision that harms many sectors of the population and sectors of the Israeli public, and I call on the Fire Chief Dudi Simchi to rescind his decision immediately”.

Photos from firefighters Facebook page.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)