So what is it like “to be citizens in Israel” now ?

13/05/16

The protest against the civics textbook was our first campaign. Over 1,600 people joined high school students Rana Haj Yihiye and Anouk Savir-Kadmon in calling on Minister of Education Naftali Bennett to stop publication of the textbook. Here is a reminder:

The Education Ministry tried to ignore the widespread public criticism – from teachers, experts and citizens. The ministry refused to disclose a copy of the textbook before publication to avoid criticism and create facts on the ground. Dr. Assaf Malach, head of the Committee for Citizenship Studies in Israel's Education Ministry even told Anouk Savir Kadmon that our campaign constitutes “civic engagement of the worse kind:”

Nonetheless, public pressure – ours and many others – did have an impact and the Education Ministry even admitted that some of the language that accompanies the matriculation exam has been changed. But now that the textbook is out and we can all read it, the changes were clearly insufficient. Or Kashti said it poignantly in an analysis in Haaretz: “This painstakingly revised version of “To be Citizens in Israel” is a faithful expression of how the political right and religious Zionists feel the State of Israel should be run.”

The question is, what do we do now? What can students approaching their matriculation exam in civics do? What can their parents do? What can we do, regular citizens that care about the education of the next generation and the integrity of our society?  Send us your responses by writing below or clicking here. The new textbook can be read in full online here.