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French Education Minister Xavier Darcos (right) and French President Nicolas Sarkozy listening to a teacher in southwestern France last week. (Reuters) Last update - 21:40 18/02/2008 French gov't softens Sarkozy plan to honor Holocaust victims By The Associated Press Tags: Jewish, France, Holocaust  PARIS - France's education minister on Monday softened a proposal made by President Nicolas Sarkozy to make French 10-year-olds honor child Holocaust victims, amid heated criticism of the sensitive idea. Sarkozy said last week that each French pupil in the last year of primary school should adopt one of the 11,000 Jewish children from France who were killed in the Holocaust, learning about the selected child's background and fate. Many psychologists, teachers and parents protested the plan as too traumatizing, and the idea has prompted nationwide debate among Holocaust survivors, historians, philosophers and Jewish leaders about France's memory of World War II. Advertisement France's Education Minister Xavier Darcos said Monday the plan could be adjusted so that an entire class could collectively honor an individual victim. "Is it necessary to do one by one, for each pupil? Perhaps we could find other solutions, such as choosing one victim per class," Darcos said on RTL radio. He said he would meet Wednesday morning with teachers and Holocaust historians to work out how best to implement the plan. The minister confirmed that something would be in place for the next school year that would respond to the president's intuition. Sarkozy defended his proposal, saying Friday: We must tell a child the truth. "If you do not talk to them of this tragedy, then you should not be surprised if it repeats itself. It is ignorance that prompts the repetition of abominable situations, not knowledge. Make our children into children with open eyes," Sarkozy said. More Jewish World news and features Bookmark to del.icio.us   Power to the people Egypt plans to provide all of Gaza's electricity, to wean dependency on Israel. Calculated escalation Hamas has been trying for some time to create a balance of deterrence with Israel.   1.   How About This 15:05  |  JJ 18/02/08   2.   Sarkozy proposal 15:20  |  HS 18/02/08   3.   Good Idea, after that they shuold adopt.... 16:20  |  Aaron 18/02/08   4.   Sakozy`s Plan 16:21  |  French Fries 18/02/08   5.   Sarcozy, plus royalist que le ROI 16:22  |  Bernadette 18/02/08   6.   Counter proposal 16:22  |  Jan Elshout 18/02/08   7.   don`t dumb kids down - ask the kids what they wants 17:06  |  topanaga 18/02/08   8.   We call them "Freedom Fries" 17:18  |  Ethel 18/02/08   9.   #6 Jan Elshout 17:34  |  Deborah 18/02/08   10.   "So Far, So Good" 17:37  |  Ethel 18/02/08   11.   Maybe assign one Algerian torture victim per student 17:38  |  Pssd Off American 18/02/08   12.   Ten is far too young. 17:47  |  Deborah 18/02/08   13.   Sarkozy is wearing his Jewish hat! 18:41  |  Frederique 18/02/08   14.   Great idea - We should honour the Terror Victims 18:51  |  Paul Wood 18/02/08   15.   The end of the world - Fried French 19:07  |  Mark Lincoln 18/02/08   16.   After the third bottle of wine... 19:36  |  Clickfool 18/02/08   17.   Fredrique # 13 19:44  |  Estelle 18/02/08   18.   Pandering bonehaed-real poodle 19:53  |  Ben 18/02/08   19.   Honoring Holocaust victims 20:17  |  Lisa 18/02/08   20.   How about honouring Palestinian children victims of zionism? 20:34  |  Nathalie 18/02/08   21.   Oh yeah Estelle! 20:38  |  Terence 18/02/08   22.   # 19, Lisa 20:40  |  Ph.D 18/02/08   23.   NONE OF SARKOZY`S BUSINESS TO TELL US WHAT TO TEACH OUR CHILDREN 20:56  |  Emmanuel 18/02/08   24.   mossadi sarkozy ought to get a clue 21:05  |  Assad-u-LLAH 18/02/08   25.   Terrence in Paris 21:23  |  Winona 18/02/08   26.   Frederique # 13 (and JJ #1) 21:29  |  Bill H. 18/02/08   27.   Terence # 21 21:33  |  Bill H. 18/02/08   28.   Lisa # 19 21:36  |  Bill H. 18/02/08   29.   @Natathalie 21:36  |  Tom 18/02/08   30.   Only thing that bugged me was... 21:50  |  Colin Wright 18/02/08   31.   re `Great Idea...` 21:53  |  Colin Wright 18/02/08   32.   To Mark Lincoln #15 `The end of the world...` 22:00  |  Colin Wright 18/02/08   33.   France`s responsibility 22:13  |  Sam 18/02/08   34.   As Long As YOU Teach Them the Whole Truth 22:16  |  robert 18/02/08   35.   Frederic you must recognizr your past 22:40  |  Patish 18/02/08   36.   better yet.. 23:39  |  hollingsworth 18/02/08   37.   Pissed Of American 00:23  |  TOBIA 19/02/08   38.   THAT MEANS YOU HAVE TO HONOR PARENTS 00:31  |  TOBIA 19/02/08   39.   Nathalie - Palestinian Arab kids die through racist Anti-Zionism 00:41  |  Z I S-D 19/02/08   40.   Sarkozy`s fate 03:35  |  Francophile 19/02/08   41.   Sarkozy`s Proposal 06:32  |  Lisa 19/02/08   42.   Sarko is right 14:52  |  American in Paris 19/02/08   43.   To "Pissed off American" 14:59  |  American in Paris 19/02/08   44.   To Francophile 15:03  |  American in Paris 19/02/08   45.   What about Algerian children 19:24  |  Alel 19/02/08   46.   37. Tobia-the-liar 23:29  |  Euro-Jew 19/02/08   47.   Euro-Jew is an honest Jew 01:35  |  hollingsworth 20/02/08   48.   To Robert, response #34. 21:01  |  sandra chitayat 20/02/08   49.   to Sandra 01:54  |  hollingsworth 21/02/08   50.   Rassinier 10:05  |  Jean-Eduard 27/02/08   51.   overboard 05:16  |  Dan 29/02/08   52.   #39 ZIS-D 05:27  |  Dan 29/02/08

Today Online IDF kills 20, including 5 children, in Gaza, West Bank Responses: 325 Barak: Large-scale Gaza operation is 'real and tangible' Responses: 124 Editorial: Decision on Gaza operation should be daring and level-headed Responses: 79 Abbas: I oppose armed struggle, but won't rule it out for future Responses: 105 Pro-Israel evangelical leader Hagee endorses McCain Responses: 58 Rosner's Domain Battle of Ohio: from James Garfield to Hillary Clinton Voters: Obama's not "tough enough" on foreign policy (WTR) Poll: Your solution for the situation in Gaza Prosecutor in AIPAC case to leave before trial? (WTR) Can Obama restore the Black-Jewish alliance? More Headlines 04:17 Gaza offensive looms as violence spirals 23:29 IDF kills 20 Palestinians in Gaza, W. Bank, including 5 children 03:00 ANALYSIS / Uncompromising Hamas is in trouble 05:49 J'lem court indicts policeman for grievous assault at Amona 05:48 Babylon and Jerusalem / The Durban dilemma 06:02 U.S. presidential elections / McCain, Obama gear up for face off over Iraq 04:06 Former diplomat: Assad seeks to restart talks with Israel 05:33 Hundreds attend funeral of student killed in Wednesday's rocket attack 01:16 Sapir College licks its wounds after student killed by rocket 22:05 U.K. officials: Prince Harry serving on front line in Afghanistan 22:46 German Jewish leader urges Merkel to back Israel's stance on Iran Previous Editions Select Day 28 feb 27 feb 26 feb 25 feb 24 feb 22 feb 21 feb 20 feb 19 feb 18 feb 17 feb 15 feb

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