Israel: PA must change school curriculum

Israel stressed on Sunday that the PA must change its educational curriculum before expecting any progress on a final settlement from Tel Aviv

Israel declared Sunday that it does not expect a final settlement with the Palestinian Authority (PA) until the Ramallah-based administration completely changes the Palestinian educational curriculum.
Minister of National Infrastructure Uzi Landau made statements to the Hebrew Israeli radio that his state cannot ignore current Palestinian curricula "because they promote violence against Israel and do not help Palestinians accept the existence of the Jewish State."
Landau implied that there is consensus within Israel on the importance of Palestinians recognising the state as "the national home for the Jewish people wherever they may be."
He added that Palestinian refusal to recognise the Israeli state suggests a lack of commitment on behalf of the PA to arrive at a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
Likud member of Knesset and Environmental protection Minister Gilad Erdan said that the statements made by Minister of Defence Ehud Barak in Washington regarding his acceptance of a divided Jerusalem do not reflect an Israeli stance.
Erdan, a trusted fellow within Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu's inner circle, excludes Jerusalem from topics acceptable for negotiation all together.
He stated Sunday that no Israeli government would allow the partitioning of Jerusalem, which "will remain Israel's eternally united capital."
In the same context, the Hebrew speaking Israeli radio conveyed Sunday a state of relief that pervaded the Israeli government following US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton's speech in the Saban Centre's annual conference. Clinton had cleared Israel from the responsibility of the failed efforts in reviving the direct talks.