Education Committee votes against adding Green Line to maps
Committee rejects Education Minister Tamir's decision to include Green Line in all textbook maps. Tamir says 'marking is important in light of Green Line's historical, judicial significance'
The committee adopted Knesset Members Zevulun Orlev and Zeev Elkin's decision proposal to adopt the government's decisions from 1967, according to which the country's borders will not be marked according to the ceasefire lines (the Green Line).
The committee concluded that "the textbooks in the education system include satisfactory material, which properly instructs on the history of the country and State's borders, including the ceasefire lines."
The committee called on Tamir to cancel her decision regarding the Green Line. MK Orlev told Ynet, "The education minister is trying to put the Green Line back on the agenda, and etch it in the students' consciousness out of a Peace Now political perspective."
"I want to believe that the education minister will not fail the citizenship test – every minister pledges to be loyal to the State of Israel and abide by the Knesset's decisions. If the education minister fails to follow the Education Committee's decision, she should be dismissed," he added.
Tamir defends decision
During the committee's meeting Tamir explained her decision to include the Green Line on maps, saying that "The marking is important in light of the wide-spread usage of the term 'Green Line' in the internal Israeli debate, as well as the international discourse."Tamir stated that that one of the education system's objectives is to deal with issues that are on the State's agenda, one of them being the question of the country's borders.
"The students should get to know the borders and the discussion surrounding them," Tamir said, "The Israeli student should know that there is a historical and judicial significance to the Green Line issue."
Tamir at Knesset committee's discussion (Photo: Haim Zach)
"This term is widely used in political discourse in Israel and abroad, for instance in the context of the separation fence. A student who does not know what the Green Line is, will not be able to understand the context," she added.
Knesset Member Zevulun Orlev said in response that "according to the government's decision the Green Line is dead, and there's no point dealing with this."
Tamir responded by saying, "The Green Line has a judicial status, even if you don't like it. Unless you wish to tell me that the status of the Golan Heights and Nablus is equal."
