JERUSALEM, April 19, 2011 (WAFA)- Al-Maqdese for Society Development (MSD) Tuesday, condemned the Israeli decision to present the Israeli ‘Declaration of Independence’ in schools’ curricula of Jerusalem and 1948 land( under Israel’s control), starting next year.
According to the mainstream, “Addressing the content of the Declaration of Independence in public schools, gives the students an opportunity to learn the fundamental principles of the ‘State of Israel’ such as; “Israel will be open for Jewish immigration and for the 'Ingathering of the Exiles'; it will foster the development of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants; it will be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel; it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture; it will safeguard the Holy Places of all religions; and it will be faithful to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.”
Furthermore, the decision calls on the Education system’s employees to promote what they called ‘the development of the tolerance and coexistence’s spirit among citizens of the State of Israel’, and to urge students to be ‘active partners in determining the general interest of the state’.
It added that “Israeli municipality of West Jerusalem, that implements the policies of occupation in East Jerusalem, has started publicizing and enforcing its recent decision, issued on 07.03.2011 to all official and unofficial schools, and schools receiving an allowance. The decision orders the schools to only buy books printed by the municipal administration, in a clear step to exert control in accordance with the ‘school supervision’ law; it has also altered the curriculum for the years 2011-2012. This decision intends to change and control the way subjects are taught and as a result modify the perspective of the students of their Palestinian and Arab identities.”
MSD considered this decision as a flagrant violation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of 1966, which obliges States parties to guarantee the right of everyone to education, including work on the full development of human personality, and the empowerment of individuals to contribute to effective and positive roles in society.
It warned that “As a result of the enforcement of this decision and restriction of the curriculum to that issued by the administration of the occupation, at least 60% of schools will have to adopt the new curriculum.”
Therefore, MSD calls the Ministry of Education and the Palestinian private and community schools to hold immediate meetings to discuss further strategies to combat the resolution and to put into action the measures needed to meet this challenge.
Y.Y./F.R.
