Israel expels ‘Nakba’ from schools (or did it just flee on its own?)

by Philip Weiss on July 22, 2009 · 10 comments

Reuters reports it. So does Israel Hayom:

The Nakba is leaving the education system: Education Minister Gidon Saar decided yesterday to cancel the subject of the Nakba in the Arab sector.  The Nakba is the description used by the Palestinians for Israel’s victory in the War of Independence, and literally means “catastrophe.
The topic was studied until today as part of the geography subject, after a decision made on the matter during the period of Limor Livnat, and was officially introduced into textbooks during the term of the previous education minister, Yuli Tamir.  “There is no reason for the official curriculum of the State of Israel to present the state’s establishment as a Holocaust or catastrophe,” Saar said yesterday.  “The education system is not supposed to contribute to processes of delegitimizing the state, which heighten the processes of extremism in the Arab sector.  In particular, there are no reasons to legitimize this concept for teaching eight-year olds.”

Related Posts

  1. Jeffrey Goldberg says ‘nakba’ never happened
  2. As Palestinians commemorate al Nakba, Avigdor Lieberman threatens to outlaw it
  3. Israel Warns UN and Palestinians to Cleanse Their ‘Lexicons’ of a Word. Guess Which One
  4. Dershowitz says, actually Nakba was Palestinians prolonging the Holocaust
  5. Nakba denial

{ 10 comments }

1 tree July 22, 2009 at 11:37 am

Ha! Maybe it left the school curriculum because of Arab radio broadcasts ordering it to leave.

Israel is getting more and more transparent about its undemocratic ways.

2 tree July 22, 2009 at 11:42 am

From the Reuter’s article, notice that the term WAS NOT used in Jewish school textbooks.

“The term, which is not part of the curriculum in schools in Jewish communities, was introduced into a book for use in Arab schools in 2007 when the Education Ministry was run by Yuli Tamir of the centre-left Labour party.”

3 LeaNder July 22, 2009 at 11:44 am

The Nabka versus Independence day is the center of a conflict on video about an Jewish & Muslim Israeli school I discovered on Shafiq’s blog here:

Bride over Wadi

Most will have heard about the school project. But I highly recommend the video. It is very well done.

4 Uri July 22, 2009 at 3:08 pm

The title of this post just made me laugh out loud in a library.

James Loewen has a great book, “Lies My Teacher Told Me.” Maybe an Israeli edition is called for.

5 LeaNder July 22, 2009 at 4:59 pm

I am a fan of Phil’s subliminal to completely unvarnished humor. The headlines are a very special and interesting field for the more creative expressions. That’s why they are under careful surveillance. Make no mistakes about that.

6 Tenma July 22, 2009 at 3:17 pm

The mass media keeps describing the Nakba as strictly being about the creation of Israel. No mention of the Deir Yassin Massacre, and the driving out of Palestinian villagers by the Irgun . Pretty sure the invasion/displacement/genocide is what Catastrophe refers to (and not, as seems to be the angle, that Palestinians feared that Jews would drive the property values down).

7 Joachim Martillo July 22, 2009 at 6:19 pm

What’s new? Omissions and mendacity are the staple of Jewish versions of history: The Lies of Yiddish Studies.

8 Thom July 23, 2009 at 12:50 am

You know, if you keep citing your own articles, you’ll go blind. Or grow hair on your palms, I forget which.

9 old Goriot July 23, 2009 at 4:00 am

Presumably you are speaking from experience, Thom?

10 Maya July 24, 2009 at 12:11 pm

Reminds me of Ahmadinejad denying the Holocaust. It’s the same mentality, basically.

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