MK (Meretz) Esawi Frij is authoring a bill that enjoys the support of Minister of Education (Yesh Atid) Rabbi Shai Piron. The bill would compel schools in Israel to hold meetings between Jewish and Arab students as part of the annual curriculum. The bill demands that during one’s 12 years of education, one must take part in at least two of these meetings.
The daily Maariv reports that the bill is supported by Piron, quoting him as calling it a “wonderful idea”. The minister is quoted as adding that he is so much in favor of the bill he plans to instruct the director-general of the ministry to issue a regulation memorandum to all schools stating each student must take part in at least one such Arab Jewish cultural event.
The minister made reference to recent racist events between Jewish and Arab soccer teams, stating the Declaration of Independence speaks of “equality, partnership and tolerance, and this is at the heart of the ministry’s policy.”
The minister added that upon being appointed, he gave the order to build a budget to accommodate activities between “conflict populations” such as Arabs and Jews, adding this program is scheduled to get underway in the 5774 school year. He stresses all school students will be compelled to take part in such events.
Frij explains his motivation for the bill is what he perceives to be the growing racism against Arabs in Israel. He feels such a project is essential to teach the next generation tolerance and respect towards one another.
It should be pointed out that such meetings in the past have opened a door to Jewish women meeting and maintaining contact with Arab men R”L.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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5 Responses
If Chreidim would introduce a bill forcing children to meet Rabanim it would be yelled down as “religious coercion”. But this is a “wonderful idea”…
What I meant was, that even a bill that would force secular students to meet Yeshiva Bochurim would also be yelled down…
Can’t imagine what the next ridiculous idea of R. Piron’s will be.
Will this be part of the core curriculum?
Truth to be told it is probably not such a bad idea. As to the concern about Jewish girls meeting Arab men who says that the students must me with the opposite gender?
This might be a good idea, if the Hareidi kids and the Muslim kids got together, they could discuss ways of opposing the radical secularists with their agenda based on sexual perversions. We’ld probably find we have a lot in common. Indeed, if they refrained from discussing real estate, they find a lot of common ground.