The Education Ministry’s decision to strengthen “Jewish and Zionist identity” studies in civics classes at the expense of democracy studies is creating tension and rifts among teachers who are battling over the character and content of civics classes.  The Kibbutzim College for education and Technology, in Tel-Aviv, held yesterday an emergency conference for 100 teachers who claim that the expected curriculum changes could endanger Israeli democracy. In the conference participated teachers, Jews and Arabs, from Tel-Aviv, Jerusalem, Um El-Fahem, Kfar Sava, Kufr Kassem, the northern Negev and others towns.

The storm and rift between the teachers are due to recent statements made by the Chairman of the Education Ministry’s Pedagogical Secretariat Dr. Zvi Zameret who claimed that “patriotism and Zionism studies” should be a more significant component in civics classes – at the expense of democracy studies.  A petition signed by 70 high school civics teachers from around the country stated: “We the civics teachers believe that civics education in Israel should include national and patriotic studies together with democracy studies and education to civic involvement”.