Jerusalem - Israel’s main high school civics textbook has become a new battleground in a culture war embroiling the country - pitting politicians against educators in a debate over how much religion and Jewish history should be included in the country’s national curriculum.
Three of the book’s authors have removed their names from chapters they wrote, claiming Education Ministry professionals altered their work beyond recognition to include a nationalist slant. The book’s editor has submitted a six-page protest letter, and the sole Arab member of the committee overseeing civics education has quit in protest. The book is scheduled to be published in March.
“It’s a book for all the students of Israel - for secular and religious, for Arabs and Druse,” said copy editor Yehuda Yaari. “And this book does not represent an approach that matches all the students.”
The uproar comes at a time when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s nationalistic government has been pushing forward with a series of initiatives critics charge undermine the country’s democratic values. The country’s culture minister has threatened to pull funding for plays and art exhibits she deems hostile to Israel, the government is promoting legislation that many believe will hurt dovish nonprofit groups, and the Education Ministry recently blocked a novel from the national curriculum because it described a romance between a Jew and an Arab. It all adds up to a climate where critics accuse the government of trying to impose its conservative values on the public.... Read More: VIN
