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Last update - 19:26 01/09/2009
Education Min.: I won't force Arab students to sing national anthem
By Jack Khoury, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Israel News, Israeli Arabs 

Education Minister Gideon Sa'ar said Tuesday that he did not plan to force Israeli Arab students to sing the national anthem, after he unveiled an education plan last week to boost Jewish and Zionist studies.

"I have no intention to Judaicize anyone and no one has heard me say I want to force the national anthem on Arab schools," said Sa'ar, of the center-right Likud party, during a visit to the Israeli Arab town of Shfaram.

Some Israeli Arabs refuse to sing the anthem, Hatikva ("The Hope"), which contains the lines: "As long as deep in the heart a Jewish soul beats," and "our 2,000-year-old hope of being a free nation in our land."
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The minister added: "Our direction is to improve the education system in the Arab sector and to endeavor to close the gaps."

Sa'ar spoke at a press conference at the end of his visit to the town, during which the minister accompanied Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The pair made the trip to mark the start of the school year.

At the press conference, Netanyahu said: "The government and I are committed to decrease the gap between the Jewish and Arab sectors and we will work hard to make it happen."

"Regional peace is important, but internal peace is of greater importance."


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      1.   Not forcing 19:10  |  Arie 01/09/09
      2.   Good. True democracies don`t force anyone to sing an anthem. 19:23  |  gg 01/09/09
      3.   stupid national anthem 19:58  |  ron 01/09/09
      4.   `Onward Christian Soldiers` 20:20  |  Binyamin 01/09/09
      5.   Arie since when does Syria finance Israeli schools 20:20  |  Labhras 01/09/09
      6.   How about teaching more Democracy, Civics and re-write the 20:22  |  B`galil 01/09/09
      7.   Irish National Anthem does not mention religion or 20:26  |  Labhras 01/09/09
      8.   Ron in Montreal 20:34  |  Stu 01/09/09
      9.   Why not! They`re citizens Israel 21:03  |  MMM 01/09/09
      10.   anthem shmanthem 21:21  |  peter rouget 01/09/09
      11.   Oh Canada 21:32  |  Dr. Allan 01/09/09
      12.   Government in contrast ! 21:34  |  Akram Zekaria 01/09/09
      13.   But will still force religious Jews to observe Yom Ha`atzamot? 21:49  |  Binyamin Dissen 01/09/09
      14.   # 9 mmm 22:34  |  Axel 01/09/09
      15.   # 10 peter 22:35  |  Axel 01/09/09
      16.   "Internal peace" in Israel. It will never happen... 22:45  |  Maureen Ann 01/09/09
      17.   Let it be 22:53  |  Alex 01/09/09
      18.   #3,4,7 23:54  |  Avi Yerushalmi 01/09/09
      19.   It is reidiculous to claim that Ireland is not a catholic country 00:14  |  bernard ross 02/09/09
      20.   Germany`s Cross 01:00  |  roland 02/09/09
      21.   This makes good sense 01:12  |  Johnson 02/09/09
      22.   Maureen Ann #16 01:21  |  bruce 02/09/09
      23.   Overlooking the elephent 01:54  |  bronxite10 02/09/09
      24.   Isnt it the koran that says to kill them all? 02:00  |  what do you expect? 02/09/09
      25.   Hatikva 04:07  |  David LG 02/09/09
      26.   Hatikvah- I love the tune 04:26  |  Arnold 02/09/09
      27.   How about a flag in the classroom ? 04:29  |  Gershon 02/09/09
      28.   #17 How shameful. 05:36  |  Ryan 02/09/09
      29.   Make Shir LeShalom Israel`s national anthem 06:12  |  Ron 02/09/09
      30.   why make Arabs betray their true cause? 06:18  |  Chaim Ben Kahan 02/09/09
      31.   So wrong !. So its ok to live in Isr. and fight against it? 06:49  |  Eugenio 02/09/09
      32.   #17 Great idea, Alex! But why not go a step further... 07:08  |  Sounds Good 02/09/09
      33.   #14 In France you have to 08:06  |  Former French 02/09/09
      34.   Labhras #7 08:28  |  arik 02/09/09
      35.   Chaim Ben Kahan, DNA proves they`re Arabized Hebrews from Israel 08:38  |  Wake Up! 02/09/09
      36.   Binyamin Dissen 08:53  |  Makevet 02/09/09
      37.   4 Binyamin - Thanks for the Laugh 09:19  |  Mark of Lewiston 02/09/09
      38.   Israel + democracy = oxymoron 09:23  |  Steve Beikirch 02/09/09
      39.   18 Arnold - Beats the US National Anthem 09:28  |  Mark of Lewiston 02/09/09
      40.   Forcing Arabs to sing ... 09:36  |  IsraeliArab 02/09/09
      41.   To chaim ben kahan 09:45  |  IsraeliArab 02/09/09
      42.   But they do enjoy all the democratic facilities 09:48  |  lily 02/09/09
      43.   #11 Dr. Allan Oh Canada, the proper analogy..... 10:41  |  Hanna 02/09/09
      44.   national anthem 10:42  |  oz 02/09/09
      45.   Nor force to sing anthem 10:43  |  Sam 02/09/09
      46.   labhras 10:51  |  udi 02/09/09
      47.   labhras 11:09  |  Shimi 02/09/09
      48.   anthem 11:20  |  me again 02/09/09
      49.   I would like to see anyone 11:30  |  Chris Linthwaite 02/09/09
      50.   the financial times hates israel 11:43  |  pinkun 02/09/09
      51.   Israel won`t be a democracy ! 11:44  |  Yosi 02/09/09
      52.   do the jewish journalists at the ft not 11:45  |  pinkun 02/09/09
      53.   #32 Shimi 11:49  |  Chris Linthwaite 02/09/09
      54.   anthem 11:52  |  oz 02/09/09
      55.   national anthem 12:02  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 02/09/09
      56.   sing for your dinner 12:07  |  arieh zimmerman 02/09/09
      57.   Chaim Ben Kahan, DNA proves they`re Arabized Hebrews from Israel 12:10  |  Wake Up! 02/09/09
      58.   Alex, #17 12:28  |  arieh zimmerman 02/09/09
      59.   Some readers fail to realize 12:35  |  Yonatan 02/09/09
      60.   Arab Israelis 12:49  |  khairi janbek 02/09/09
      61.   On "Stupid national anthems" 12:51  |  Yonatan 02/09/09
      62.   The German national anthem - silly! 13:04  |  Yonatan 02/09/09
      63.   #38 Wake Up - You`re quite right 13:15  |  Yonatan 02/09/09
      64.   #47 silly German anthem 13:33  |  SP 02/09/09
      65.   #46 Yonathan - On stupid national anthems 13:48  |  Chris Linthwaite 02/09/09
      66.   #54 SP - Doener kebab, eh? 14:05  |  Yonatan 02/09/09
      67.   #23 Steve Beikirch 14:12  |  Der Zweifler 02/09/09
      68.   Ron #21 14:21  |  sharon 02/09/09
      69.   Indigenous Jews reply to "IsraeliArab" 33 14:30  |  Realist 02/09/09
      70.   #58 Yonatan 14:40  |  SP 02/09/09
      71.   it is unfashionable to hate jews outright 14:42  |  the fixer 02/09/09
      72.   #42 re the Financial Times 14:50  |  Paul 02/09/09
      73.   Chris Linthwite #57 14:52  |  Avi Yerushalmi 02/09/09
      74.   national anthem 15:06  |  zoe 02/09/09
      75.   what is stupid about hope? 15:20  |  khairi janbek 02/09/09
      76.   Avi 15:21  |  mariapalestina 02/09/09
      77.   insane 15:22  |  oz 02/09/09
      78.   Israeli Arab@ 15:26  |  Yoav Ben Zakai 02/09/09
      79.   #24 Ron, in many countries there is an unofficial 15:32  |  Ardi 02/09/09
      80.   #46 - Israel IS and WILL REMAIN a Democracy 15:37  |  B`galil 02/09/09
      81.   #68 Avi 15:41  |  Chris Linthwaite 02/09/09
      82.   Many Americans want to change their National Anthem too 15:46  |  B`galil 02/09/09
      83.   #75 Mariapaslestina 380 ChrisLinthwite 17:10  |  Avi Yerushalmi 02/09/09
      84.   #75 mariapalestina 18:33  |  Yonatan 02/09/09
      85.   To Ryan #17 - Correction 18:57  |  Alex 02/09/09
      86.   National Anthem 19:05  |  Poppy 02/09/09
      87.   Hatikva Hope love 20:34  |  You bloody hypocrits 02/09/09
      88.   It all depends on your "nefesh" 20:37  |  David 02/09/09
      89.   No Wake up, thats nonsense 20:56  |  RfaelMoshe 02/09/09
      90.   #87 which is why 22:30  |  Ivor Biggun 02/09/09
      91.   To Axel, on `coerced singing` (#9) 23:49  |  Morris Valentine 02/09/09
      92.   In US even pledge is voluntary 23:51  |  LisaV 02/09/09
      93.   RaflMoshe #87 sure we can debate genetics, but facts 03:02  |  ELIAS KHOURY 03/09/09
      94.   #83 Alex 03:35  |  Ryan 03/09/09
      95.   To Former French 04:04  |  utagawa 03/09/09
      96.   It`s Only 80% Jewish State 05:18  |  Kevin 03/09/09
      97.   Israeli Flag Should have Crescent and Cross 05:22  |  Kevin 03/09/09
      98.   Arik in London 05:37  |  Kevin 03/09/09
      99.   Labhras, please stop comparing Eire and Israel (#7) 05:40  |  Morris Valentine 03/09/09
      100.   Pledge 06:12  |  sfg 03/09/09
      101.   TO Yonatan #58 09:21  |  Steve Beikirch 03/09/09
      102.   which Ireland did you grow up in? 14:55  |  Clodagh 03/09/09
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