The decision of Minister of Education, Yuli Tamir, of the Labor party, has sent shock waves throughout the Israeli political system. Tamir directed that Israeli school book maps shall include the Green Line.
The Green Line was the border line of Israel up to the Six Days War in 1967 when Israel took over the Golan Heights, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Israeli schoo books containe maps without any distinction between Israeli territory in 1948 and that taken in 1967.
Tamir claims that to erase the Green Line from maps is to change history. History should be taught as it was. That is the only way to educate Israeli children and to encourage them to debate the issue of the territories Israel conquered in 1967.
Right wing politicians denounced the decision and stated that Tamir is injecting her political views into the Israeli educational system. Certain attacks have been particulary vituperative.
It is an issue that promises to remain "hot" in the coming days and weeks.
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