Education Min.: I won't force Arab students to sing national anthem

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."

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."