Next Round March 29-30

March Negotiations

Plans are under way for the next round of the Public Negotiating Congress in Tel Aviv March 1 and 2.

New Textbook Study

A section from the most recent agreements:

5. Peace education:

    a. Both sides are committed to educate for peace and tolerance. 

    b. Both sides are committed to prevent incitement against each other. 

    c. Israeli children from the age of seven will learn Arabic, Palestinian tradition and culture; Palestinian  children from the age of seven will learn Hebrew, Jewish tradition and culture. 

Regarding education:  SLATE reports that Israeli and Palestinian researchers have conducted a new study of textbooks.  "The study was conducted by a team of Palestinian and Israeli researchers and designed by Yale psychiatrist Bruce Wexler."  There is some news about which to be encouraged.  Extreme negative depictions of either side are rare.  However, instituting a dual narrative like Side by Side which has "been lauded by the international press and continues to sell abroad, ... was banned by both the Israeli and Palestinian education ministries."

Comments?

MOP invites comments

Can you imagine how you would feel if you received a comment on your agreement AS YOU WERE NEGOTIATING possibly the most important agreement of your generation?  MOP invites messages from all over the world.  What a show of support that would be!

Plans for Next Mini-Congress

It looks like the next round is going to be in Habima Square (Tel-Aviv) again on March 1-2. This is another step towards the establishment of a major Israeli-Palestinian Public Negotiating Congress with political power.