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U.S. rabbi defends N.Y. Arab school despite charges it will be anti-Israel
By The Associated Press

U.S. Rabbi Michael Feinberg defended a planned Arab school in New York on Monday, despite charges by a state legislator that the school could teach anti-Israeli extremism.

Addressing a rally in front of the New York Department of Education, Rabbi Feinberg called on elected officials to come forward in support of the Khalil Gibran International Academy, which is scheduled to open on September 4.

Rabbi Feinberg called the virulent Internet campaign against the school "the lowest of McCarthyite tactics."

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State Assemblyman Dov Hikind, however, slammed the school as a breeding ground for extremism.

"It will not, as suggested, be a hope for peace; it is a blueprint for anti-Israel and anti-U.S. extremism," Hikind said, adding that the school has been endorsed by radical groups.

Education Department officials have said religion will not be taught at the school, which will focus instead on Arabic language and Arab culture. Schools that specialize in a specific topic or culture are common in New York.

"Unless we all send a clear message that racist comments associating Arabic language and culture with terrorism will not be tolerated, we will continue to hear them again and again," the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee and other community groups said Monday in a statement.

Earlier this month the school's original principal, Debbie Almontaser, resigned due to criticism after she failed to condemn the use of the word intifada, an Arabic term for the Palestinian uprising against Israel, at the school.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently said on his radio show that Almontaser is certainly not a terrorist, but he called her resignation the right thing to do.

The schools supporters praise what they said was the school's message of inclusion.

"It's about appreciating differences. It's not about indoctrinating students for conformity," said Deborah Howard, a community member who was on the planning committee for the school.

Some supporters argued Monday that education officials' quiet persistence in opening the school is not enough.

'Welcoming' Ms. Almontaser's resignation and remaining silent on the underlying anti-Arab, anti-Muslim bigotry has the effect of legitimizing the very thing that should be condemned, the groups said in a statement.

The Education Department did not return an Associated Press telephone call seeking comment.
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  1.   New Principal, Jew Principal. 08:00  |  Seal 21/08/07
  2.   DON`T BACK DOWN, NO SIR 08:04  |  indrajaya 21/08/07
  3.   Warsaw Uprising? 09:10  |  Historian 21/08/07
  4.   Who is this Feinberg guy? What kind of "rabbi" is he? 09:13  |  Dani 21/08/07
  5.   Good for Feinberg 09:18  |  Moshe 21/08/07
  6.   Maybe... 09:20  |  Colin Wright 21/08/07
  7.   Kudos to Rabbi Feinberg 09:32  |  Khalil 21/08/07
  8.   FANATICAL ISLA GROWING IN AMERICA 09:34  |  THE FUTURE IS NOW 21/08/07
  9.   #1 is correct 09:36  |  Ari ben Yisrael 21/08/07
  10.   #3 Yiur intolerable moral equivalency 10:04  |  Dr. Simon barak 21/08/07
  11.   BRAVO FEINBERG, YOUR FUTURE IS SAVE 10:04  |  indrajaya 21/08/07
  12.   No German language schools in Israel? 10:11  |  Wael 21/08/07
  13.   Americans are shooting them selves in the foot 10:32  |  Wael 21/08/07
  14.   Where is Hillary on this? 10:34  |  Walid 21/08/07
  15.   Kudos to Feinberg 10:34  |  Wael 21/08/07
  16.   Who is not anti-Israel? 10:39  |  Hannah 21/08/07
  17.   Kill This Cancer Before It Spreads 11:16  |  Jane 21/08/07
  18.   To all the Nay sayers. 11:50  |  Steve the Pals. 21/08/07
  19.   HANNAH"Who is not antiIsrael"The majority of the USA for starters 11:55  |  PETER SM 21/08/07
  20.   indrajaya "If they want war, they will got one." 12:00  |  PETERSM 21/08/07
  21.   # 20, PETER SM 12:12  |  indrajaya 21/08/07
  22.   A previous Mufti of NY,when he got back home to the ME accused- 12:22  |  PETER SM 21/08/07
  23.   To Jane #17 12:22  |  WhiteDog 21/08/07
  24.   indrajaya.the only person talking war is you. 12:33  |  PETERSM 21/08/07
  25.   Chruch is also a vital "ground for extremism" 12:36  |  Tupac 21/08/07
  26.   Disliking jihad is anti-Muslim, but rightly so 13:35  |  david Teich 21/08/07
  27.   not all arabs are moslems, and not all moslem are arabs. 14:02  |  Jesus servant 21/08/07
  28.   # 7 Khalil 14:02  |  Lynn 21/08/07
  29.   # 26, DAVID TEICH 14:06  |  indrajaya 21/08/07
  30.   Whitedog-Either Very Naive or Stupid 14:09  |  Jane 21/08/07
  31.   Read it and Weep - The Whole Sorry Story 14:17  |  Jane 21/08/07
  32.   we should do it too 14:20  |  Taha 21/08/07
  33.   Tupac # 25 14:27  |  Lynn 21/08/07
  34.   Is he rabbi? 14:28  |  Gene 21/08/07
  35.   # 18 Steve 14:35  |  Lynn 21/08/07
  36.   Nutters 14:36  |  MeMeMe 21/08/07
  37.   # 27 jesus servant 15:00  |  Lynn 21/08/07
  38.   Watch Me World, Blow Up Over Nutting 15:47  |  Indrayagagaga 21/08/07
  39.   Taha- Jewish and Christian Schools Don`t Teach Jihad 15:51  |  Jane 21/08/07
  40.   Why Such Anti-Arabic Sentiments? 15:53  |  Tex 21/08/07
  41.   Indra inspires homegrown terrorism by his own words 15:54  |  Avram 21/08/07
  42.   "Reconstructionist" Feinberg hews anti-Jewish line 15:56  |  Alan 21/08/07
  43.   This school should not be opened 16:00  |  Kevin 21/08/07
  44.   Is he a reform "Rabbi"? 16:01  |  Aaron 21/08/07
  45.   Jane #30 16:22  |  Whitedog 21/08/07
  46.   Jane, do you remember McCartheyism? 16:27  |  Ibrahim 21/08/07
  47.   Big Difference 16:28  |  David P. 21/08/07
  48.   Arab culture 16:31  |  Eynav Benjamin 21/08/07
  49.   Looks like 9/11 wasn`t enough for the USA 16:36  |  Keith Waldman 21/08/07
  50.   arabic school 16:42  |  alan jay gerber 21/08/07
  51.   To #42 Alan 16:46  |  Gene 21/08/07
  52.   Ibrahim-This Schhol Has Known Ties to Extremists 16:49  |  Jane 21/08/07
  53.   do you remember McCartheyism? 16:56  |  eynav Benjamin 21/08/07
  54.   This is the US, please keep YOUR conflict at home 16:58  |  Man on a tree 21/08/07
  55.   Tex 16:59  |  Man on a tree 21/08/07
  56.   #34 Gene, reform your spelling 16:59  |  Boycott 21/08/07
  57.   to # 2 17:00  |  Bob C 21/08/07
  58.   Jane - this is america, religous schools are religious schools 17:01  |  Man on a tree 21/08/07
  59.   Jane - Most Chrstians in Palestine ARE arab! 17:02  |  BB 21/08/07
  60.   David P. 17:04  |  CC 21/08/07
  61.   #48 E. Benjamin 17:05  |  Boycott 21/08/07
  62.   Intifada 17:18  |  Sensible 21/08/07
  63.   Of course the school should, and will open 17:20  |  Tosefta 21/08/07
  64.   Should we believe Mr. Dov Hikind? 17:24  |  Jozef 21/08/07
  65.   "The Rabbi" - does he keep Kosher?? 17:44  |  * BEN JABO 21/08/07
  66.   BB- And Pigs With Wings Can Fly 17:48  |  Jane 21/08/07
  67.   Did you guys miss it? 17:55  |  Mark of Lewiston 21/08/07
  68.   orthodox Paranoia 17:56  |  Meir 21/08/07
  69.   #27 Jesus Servant....more people like you are necessary 17:57  |  The Equalizer 21/08/07
  70.   Arab Princiapl 17:57  |  JJ 21/08/07
  71.   What are you saying Jane? 18:00  |  BB 21/08/07
  72.   #54 MAN ON THE TREE SHOULD CLIMB DOWN TO REALITY 18:00  |  paul harris 21/08/07
  73.   no quarter in American life is quite safe 18:28  |  Pssd Off American 21/08/07
  74.   Feinberg certainly a rabbi!!! 18:33  |  H 21/08/07
  75.   BB- I`m Saying The School is Muslim 18:33  |  jane 21/08/07
  76.   Brooklyn school NOT religious 18:34  |  H 21/08/07
  77.   School Politics 18:35  |  Mark of Lewiston 21/08/07
  78.   #73 Pssd Off 18:44  |  * BEN JABO 21/08/07
  79.   #74 H 18:46  |  * BEN JABO 21/08/07
  80.   #61 Boycott 18:50  |  * BEN JABO 21/08/07
  81.   Post #16 - Hannah is Correct 18:51  |  Double Click 21/08/07
  82.   Potential Class Lessons 18:52  |  * BEN JABO 21/08/07
  83.