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Dear Fiamma,
A belated message of Mazel Tov on your new appointment.
A consistent message from our agency is that the educational system of the PA and UNRWA must be reformed before any peace process can ensue.
http://israelbehindthenews.com/the-unrwa-reform-initiative/
There is a positive Italian element of this
story of what occurred in the summer of 2000.
Our agency provided the Vatican with the new PA school books, introduced in 2000 and still in use, in the PA schools and in UNRWA schools.
We had acquired the books directly from the PA.
Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the Papal Nuncio at the time, ordered a review of the books at the directive of Pope John Paull II.
http://israelbehindthenews.com/a-tribute-from-a-jewish-reporter-in-jerusalem/4386/
Archbishop Sambi told our agency that the assessment of the Vatican was that the set of PA school books were anti-semitic, anti-peace, and read like war manuals.
The Nuncio told us time that the Vatican therefore asked the Italian government to pull its funds out of PA education.
Italy was one of five nations that financed the publication of these new PA school books. The other nations are Holland, Belgium, Finland and Ireland. Working with Jack Padwa, the honorary head of the ADL in Israel, we met with the consuls of each of these nations, all of whom confirmed that they had funded the PA school books. Each of the consuls told us that that PA would not show them the school books before publication, even though the PA had promised to do so.
The Italian consulate, however, told Jack and myself that the Vatican had showed them the PA school books.
The Italian consul confirmed that the Italian government had been asked by the Vatican to withdraw funds from the PA education system and that Italy had indeed cancelled its participation in the funding of the PA school books.
Four years later, at a Knesset forum on the subject of PA education. chaired by MK Yuri Shtern, the Italian consul made an emotional apology for providing initial funds to the people of Israel for the initial funding that Italy provided for the funding of PA school books.
Our agency has publicized the story about Italy withdrawing its funds from the PA school books on numerous occasions. In May, Prof Robert Wistrich, was headed to address members of the Italian Parliament last in May, on what would be his last mission in life.
Prof. Wistrich asked our agency to provide him with the UNRWA school curriculum, which uses the PA school books. We did so.
We also gave Robert the story of what had transpired when the Italian government had withdrawn its support from PA education. Robert was going to emphasize that point.Robert never gave to make that address.
He died in his hotel room in Rome.
Fiamma, perhaps you can use the precedent of Italy taking a stand on the new PA school books in your new mission.
B’vracha,
David Bedein
Director
Israel Resource News Agency
Center for Near East Policy Research
www.israelbehindthenews.com
