By Xinhua,
Jerusalem : A group of academics and education officials in Israel formed a committee to establish an education policy aimed at helping the Jews and the Arabs live together, local daily Ha’aretz reported Monday.
“As long as the Education Ministry has no policy on the matter, the existing activity (between Jews and Arabs), which is on the decline, will continue to be based on the goodwill of nonprofit associations and private individuals,” Professor Gabi Salomon of Haifa University, a member of the group’s steering committee, was quoted as saying.
The move is the first of its kind in Israel, the report said, adding that the group said Education Minister Yuli Tamir had expressed support for the initiative.
A position paper released earlier this month said racist speech has permeated Israeli society, and merely a tiny percentage of Israeli Jews had participated in organized meetings with Arabs.
However, education activities on how to live together “are sporadic, and do not stem from an overall policy,” and thus “of limited effectiveness.” said the paper.