23 Dec 2019; MEMO: The Israeli Ministry of Education has started to implement the terms of the Jewish Nation-State Law, which was adopted by the Knesset (parliament) in 2018 and has been described as “racist” by critics, Quds Press reported on Monday. The ministry ordered civil studies teachers to impress on students that Hebrew is the only official language in Israel.
AN official with responsibility for the subject, published a document last week breaking down the answers for general secondary school examinations this year and providing model answers. One of the questions asked about the status of Hebrew, and that confused the students.
“The model answer was made prior to ratifying the nation-state law,” explained the official, “but according to the basic law, the answer in the next exam will be that Hebrew is the only official language in Israel.”
According to one teacher, said Haaretz, the education ministry is undermining the concept of “plurality” being taught to students in Israel. “The next step is cancelling the recognition of the rights of minorities in the country.”
