High school students in Israel have ignited a heated online debate after dressing as Ku Klux Klan (KKK) members and African-Americans for the Jewish Purim holiday.

The students from the Harel High School in a suburb of Jerusalem reportedly posted a photo of the costumes to Facebook and the Israeli creative agency Mizbala last week. They wore the outfits to mark the Purim holiday, which celebrates a story from the Book of Esther, where the Jews were saved from extermination in Persia. Many Jews celebrate by eating, drinking and wearing costumes in a carnival-like atmosphere.

The photo generated a storm of comments online. One user reportedly wrote, “There is no doubt that this is a shameful provocation that indicates insensitivity". Others online echoed this sentiment:

