One day before the mayor of Ashkelon decided to ban Arab construction workers from kindergartens, a high school teacher in the city sent a group of students an image of a Muslim cemetery with the caption, "In times like these, it's important to remember there are also good Arabs! And they can be found here."

The teacher sent the image on Wednesday to a group of 11th and 12th graders via the social messaging service WhatsApp, Ynet reported.

The math teacher reportedly regretted sending the image to his students, saying he sent it to them accidentally and that it was intended for a different group on WhatsApp, according to Ynet.

After receiving the image, one student responded that it was inappropriate to send such an image to students.

The Education Ministry called the incident "extremely grave" and told Ynet that the image "goes against the values of the Education Ministry and the country."

It added that local authorities in Ashkelon would be summoning the teacher for disciplinary action.

The ministry said it would continue to follow the case to ensure the correct disciplinary measures are taken, but told Ynet that "it should be noted the teacher apologized to his students and expressed regret for his actions."