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French President Nicolas Sarkozy. (Reuters) Last update - 01:07 17/02/2008 Sarkozy defends Holocaust education proposal amid uproar By Reuters Tags: Holocaust Education, France  Advertisement The proposal unleashed a storm of protest from teachers, psychologists and his political foes who said it would unfairly burden children with the guilt of previous generations and some could be traumatised by identifying with a Holocaust victim. More than 11,100 French Jewish children were deported from France to Auschwitz and other Nazi death camps in Eastern Europe during the German World War Two occupation. "The emotional burden can have negative consequences for a child who is developing," Gilles Moindrot, general secretary of the Snuipp-FSU trade union which represents most primary school teachers, said in a statement. The EMDH children's rights group said: "No educational project should be constructed on death." But Sarkozy, speaking in Perigueux in central France, brushed off the uproar. "It is ignorance that produces abominable situations. It is not knowledge," he said in a speech. "Let us make our children, children with open eyes who are not complacent." "Believe me, you will not traumatize children by giving them the gift of the memory of a country ... Any psychologist will tell you: you have to tell a child the truth," he said. But Veil, who supported Sarkozy's presidential bid and who sat next to him at the Wednesday dinner, appeared to disagree. "One can't inflict this on 10 year olds. You cannot ask a child to identify with a dead child," Veil, who was deported to Auschwitz when she was 16, told L'Express news magazine. With Sarkozy's popularity ratings already at a low point, the controversy could further hurt his political standing only a month before key local elections when France will deliver its first judgment on his nine months in office. The clamor gave fresh ammunition to his political foes, who charge him with erratic behavior and say his hyperactivity masks a lack of real policies. "Really this president is extraordinary! One day he is preaching God to us ... Now he has suddenly become a teacher. He is deciding what's a good way and what's a bad way to go about educating young children," fumed left-wing Senator Jean-Luc Melenchon. But Sarkozy won support from opposition Socialist leader Francois Hollande and the president's conservative UMP party rallied in support. Education Minister Xaviet Darcos assured people the project would be handled in a practical, low-profile way. "We won't be putting a policeman in each classroom," he told reporters. More Jewish World news and features Bookmark to del.icio.us   Bring down the house Knesset speaker calls for wrecking of yeshiva killer's family home. Frum and fabulous Beauty salons offer Haredi women a unique brand of modest glamour.   1.   sarkozy,the attention seeker! 01:58  |  lakshmi 16/02/08   2.   How About This? 02:20  |  Dawood 16/02/08   3.   Children 02:49  |  Gerard 16/02/08   4.   Bravo Sarkozy! 03:30  |  Jimmie 16/02/08   5.   France and antisemitism 04:06  |  Ethel 16/02/08   6.   Sarkozy "Marrano" Jew 04:22  |  Horst Wessel 16/02/08   7.   Re: Comment 5 04:49  |  Greg 16/02/08   8.   I disagree with the criticism 04:55  |  Nechama 16/02/08   9.   Who is Simone Veil, Greg? 05:45  |  Ethel 16/02/08   10.   Unfortunately, everyone in France is antisemitic 05:54  |  Ethel 16/02/08   11.   Viva La France 07:46  |  Bat Man 16/02/08   12.   re nechama 07:47  |  billy jack 16/02/08   13.   Wait a few years, monsieur le president 08:08  |  hala 16/02/08   14.   Will France also teach about life for 08:37  |  kiwi girl 16/02/08   15.   Sarkozy is going to breed antisemitism 09:04  |  AJ 16/02/08   16.   I whole heartedly agree AJ 10:08  |  kiwi girl 16/02/08   17.   Brainwashing the young 10:08  |  Candida 16/02/08   18.   Message to Sarkosy 10:29  |  Candida 16/02/08   19.   They`ll call Sarkozy a Jew: quite a compliment 10:43  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 16/02/08   20.   The Holocaust will become just another piece of history. 12:01  |  Michael 16/02/08   21.   Sarkozy..you must look before you leap, dude. 12:19  |  Stephen. 16/02/08   22.   #8, Nechama 13:19  |  Anton 16/02/08   23.   # 6 13:54  |  Mia W 16/02/08   24.   Greg in London 13:57  |  Craig 16/02/08   25.   Ethel # 9 13:58  |  Tom 16/02/08   26.   To Margi 14:01  |  Dav 16/02/08   27.   HUH?? 14:02  |  William 16/02/08   28.   # 11 14:04  |  Jackie 16/02/08   29.   Good man Sarkozy Viva Sarkozy!!! 14:50  |  Petra 16/02/08   30.   # 5 Ethyl Jews, Lutherans, gays, priests etc. 15:06  |  Petra 16/02/08   31.   # 15 AJ Where`ve you been? All of Europe is anti semitc. 15:08  |  Petra 16/02/08   32.   # 16 Kiwi fruit 15:12  |  Petra 16/02/08   33.   # 17 Candida truth sure beats `charity` arab $$ for terror! 15:14  |  Petra 16/02/08   34.   # 21 Stephan Geneve, It`s the same thing, dude. 15:19  |  Petra 16/02/08   35.   An act of desperation by Sarkozy 15:19  |  Paul Wood 16/02/08   36.   #30 It`s Not the catholic church 15:43  |  Gregg 16/02/08   37.   Kiwi girl: grow up 15:49  |  AA 16/02/08   38.   Sarko is wrong and this will enhance anti-Semitism 15:58  |  Mark B. 16/02/08   39.   Memory and firm resolve.... 15:59  |  Leland Somers 16/02/08   40.   Sarkozy`s proposal is lunacy 16:25  |  Michelmicha 16/02/08   41.   When politics manipulate history !!! 16:29  |  Meco 16/02/08   42.   Reply to Ethel 16:38  |  Jean-Paul DOGUET 16/02/08   43.   Holocaust education 16:42  |  FK 16/02/08   44.   Petra, several #s 17:07  |  Peter 16/02/08   45.   5, 10 `Everyone in France is anti-semitic`. Rubbish Ethel. 17:48  |  Michael 16/02/08   46.   Sarkozy Doesn`t Go Far Enough!!! 18:10  |  DoubleClick 16/02/08   47.   Holocaust and children and sarkozy 18:16  |  michel 16/02/08   48.   Teach EVERYTHING about ethnic cleansing in WWII. 18:24  |  Luke Biaggio 16/02/08   49.   A Better Idea 18:38  |  Milo 16/02/08   50.   Fool`s embrace 18:47  |  US Observer 16/02/08   51.   Holocaust education for children 19:21  |  Phyllis Schoenberg 16/02/08   52.   talk about the Palsetinian children now 19:23  |  Javad 16/02/08   53.   #48: where`s ocford, milud? 20:40  |  aldo 16/02/08   54.   to 52 20:55  |  eldorado 16/02/08   55.   sarko 20:56  |  louis 16/02/08   56.   Petra You Are Full Of Crap 21:03  |  Yuhannon 16/02/08   57.   Continued To Petra 21:09  |  Yuhannon 16/02/08   58.   dear bigots 21:14  |  Mike 16/02/08   59.   dear bigots, PS 21:15  |  Mike 16/02/08   60.   re AA 21:35  |  billy jack 16/02/08   61.   Crass politics 21:39  |  W 16/02/08   62.   Reply to Phillys 21:48  |  Jean-Paul DOGUET 16/02/08   63.   sarkozy`s intention = justice. french ignorance has gone too far. 21:52  |  Michelle 16/02/08   64.   To Luke Biaggio 21:58  |  Robin 16/02/08   65.   #52 22:05  |  ak 16/02/08   66.   Why do the French have to be so damn dramatic about everything?? 22:08  |  Jew 16/02/08   67.   To Javad 22:08  |  Robin 16/02/08   68.   Sarkozy 22:21  |  Robin 16/02/08   69.   Bravissimo 22:23  |  Joseph 16/02/08   70.   WE WERE KIDS 22:39  |  COUCOUCOUCOU 16/02/08   71.   RESPONSE TO YUHANNON 22:48  |  TOBIA 16/02/08   72.   They aren`t defending the CM2 kids, 22:58  |  HS 16/02/08   73.   They aren`t defending the CM2 kids, 23:11  |  HS 16/02/08   74.   SARKOZY IS A JEWISH EXTREMIST WANTING TO CURB FRENCH SECULARISM 23:12  |  JACKAL 16/02/08   75.   I agree 23:34  |  sentopuzzadilatrina 16/02/08   76.   Joo Boy Sarkozy believes only the Jooish holo hoax matters 23:44  |  Assad-u-LLAH 16/02/08   77.   "George W." Sarkozi 00:30  |  Baz Mann 17/02/08   78.   SARKOZY HAS A GOOD IDEA 00:51  |  US Citizen 17/02/08   79.   re us citezen #75 01:11  |  billy jack 17/02/08   80.   Dear Robin in Sydney 01:22  |  Luke Biaggio 17/02/08   81.   ASSAD 01:54  |  TOBIA 17/02/08   82.   Re. to Ethel on Simone Veil 01:43  |  Frenchie 18/02/08   83.   Duracell bunny strikes again 00:16  |  selpoivre 19/02/08   84.   A worthy educational proposal 13:51  |  Dr Natalio Wengrower 19/02/08   85.   how bout the psychological burden of the holocaust victim childre 16:40  |  rob 12/03/08

Today Online Hamas: No truce until Israel ends Gaza siege Responses: 96 Australian parliament lauds Israel as 'custodian of freedom' Responses: 85 Qureia to Livni: PA 'shocked' at plan to expand settlement Responses: 82 Pro-Palestinian graffiti found inside El Al plane in Italy Responses: 45 Haaretz TV: Israeli-born child faces expulsion Responses: 15 Rosner's Domain Israeli leadership: A mixture of paranoia and luck Poll: Cease-fire with Hamas, a good idea? How Qassams changed the conflict (WTR) Study: Boston's intermarried 'as observant' as Reform Jews Whose Jerusalem Is It, anyway? More Headlines 16:15 Hamas: No truce until IDF ends Gaza, W. Bank raids 17:19 Dichter to police: Demolish home of Jerusalem yeshiva terrorist 13:32 Rightist rabbis urge Jews to avenge enemies 'measure for measure' 15:36 Lyon police disperse anti-Israel rally during Peres visit 11:46 Australian parliament lauds Israel as 'custodian of freedom' 14:33 Jihad: Killing militant will bring retaliation 'deep inside' Israel 16:59 Smuggler buried alive when tunnel collapses near Egypt-Gaza border 17:09 Israel to boycott Al-Jazeera TV, claiming incitement to terror 16:30 After 30 years, musician Joe Jackson realizes dream of playing in Israel 11:52 The Bard behind bars 13:19 Russia to extradite Israeli wanted by Colombia for allegedly training guerillas 17:32 70 years after Anschluss, Austrians urged not to bury past 16:43 U.S. Mideast army chief quits after 'opposing attack on Iran' Previous Editions Select Day 11 mar 10 mar 09 mar 07 mar 06 mar 05 mar 04 mar 03 mar 02 mar 29 feb 28 feb 27 feb

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