An Open Letter to NYC Council Speaker, Christine C Quinn, On Israel Providing Teacher Training on Israel, By Mohamed Khodr

An Open Letter to NYC Council Speaker, Christine C Quinn, On Israel Providing Teacher Training on Israel

By Mohamed Khodr

Al-Jazeerah, September 22, 2006

Honorable Speaker Christine C. Quinn

New York City Council

Dear Ms. Christine C. Quinn

I am very surprised and bewildered that the New York City Council would approve a 30 hour course on Israel's history as submitted by a foreign nation's consulate, Israel's, to be taught for credit to NYC teachers. I have never heard of such an arrangement between a foreign nation and an American city, state, or federal government.

This unique and puzzling endeavor was approved without citizen input nor have I read in the media that it was approved by the Board of Education. For NYC taxpayers to provide classrooms, materials such as audio visual equipment or computers, pay for extended utilities and continue to pay teacher salaries for a course developed by a foreign nation for the sole purpose of indoctrinating teachers and future leaders to support Israel's policies right or wrong is outrageous to say the least. For an educational establishment to so easily submit and accept a foreign government's course is pure propaganda and arises out of feared intimidation. Education must be as balanced and objective as possible on historical matters, hence, solely providing Israel's narrative (which already has been the case for 60 years) without a concomitant presentation of the Palestinian narrative as a subjugated people under forced military occupation defies America's values and morals of fairness and balance.

This course will obviously omit the history of Palestine, Palestinians, and manipulate and misrepresent the Arab Israeli conflict. Israel's brutal and illegal occupation of Palestinian lands that began with a massive ethnic cleansing of 750,000 Palestinians and total destruction of 400 Palestinian villages has been extensively documented and condemned by dozens of U.N. Resolutions that Israel defies with total impunity, all U.S. Presidents since Truman (except for Bush Jr.), and the rest of the world.

Would NYC accept a similar offer from France, Mexico (given the illegal immigrant issue), Russia, Venezuela, China, Japan, or God forbid Iran or Syria.

This is clearly a council that cannot refuse Israel's foreign meddling in a domestic educational issue much akin to our Congress that has forked over to Israel our foreign policy. Where does this end?

The only fair and balanced solution is to offer Palestinians an opportunity to present their narrative as the second player in the conflict. Odd that the Council acted without any input from city residents, parents, or Non-Israeli consulates or organizations.

American children should not now nor ever be subjected to any foreign nation's educational manipulation and meddling in their schools. Many schools have dropped American history and Civics courses as well as world geography yet we gladly embrace a foreign national "course". This is America, not an occupied territory.

Naturally if this course is dropped now there will be as usual a heavy anti-Semitic hell to pay and perhaps the end of political ambitions. Ironically, Israeli's are not Semites while the occupied Palestinian Christians and Muslims are.

The Council must find its courage and patriotic principles or forever lose any credibility of representing the citizens of New York. In fact the Council has de facto become another representative body for Israel, again much like our Congress and complicit media.

If only New York City parents knew the truth, what do you think they'll say? We say no to prayers in schools, we prohibit religious celebrations in public areas, but we say YES TO ISRAEL's PROPAGANDA. Incredulous.

When I became a citizen I pledged allegiance to an American flag. To what flag do members of the Council pay allegiance to today?

Peace, Shalom, and Salaam

Dr. Mohamed Khodr

http://www.nyccouncil.info/rightnow/contactspkr.cfm?name=CONTACT_

SPEAKER&form_path=%5C%5Cjuniper%5Casp%5Cqng%5Cima_forms (Site to send Speaker Emails)

STORY

http://www.ynetnews.com/Ext/Comp/ArticleLayout/CdaArticlePrintPreview/1,2506,L-3301443,00.html

09.08.06

Israel Studies

New Yorkers to study about Israel

City council approves study program on Israel initiated by Israeli Consulate in New York; program to be integrated into training program for educators teaching in 1,400 public high schools

Yaniv Halili

NEW YORK - The New York City Council's education committee approved a study program on Israel initiated by the public relations department of the Israeli Consulate in New York.

The study program will be integrated into the training program for educators teaching in 1,400 public high schools in New York City. The teachers will be able to register to a 30-hour course dealing with the history of the State of Israel, its economy, the high-tech industry, Israeli art and Ethiopian Jews.

The incentive offered to teachers who will take the course: Credit points for an academic degree.

The teachers responded so positively to the course, that by the third day of registration all seats were taken. Following the teachers' request, the consulate decided to add more seats.

Israeli Consul General in New York Aryeh Mekel said that "through the teachers a generation of leaders will be educated to maintain the special relations between the United States and Israel."

We are not bringing politics, but are exposing them to Israel as we know it and as we would like people to know it," he added.

Earth, a planet hungry for peace

Apartheid Wall


The Israeli Land-Grab Apartheid Wall built inside the Palestinian territories, here separating Abu Dis from occupied East Jerusalem. (IPC, 7/4/04).

The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers in the West Bank, like a Python. (Alquds,10/25/03).

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