Tuesday 16 August 2016

Czech ministry to correct school atlas over Jerusalem blunder


The Czech Ministry of Education said it will recall a geography book used in schools after erroneously showing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

According to a report by Ma’an News Agency, the ministry informed the Palestinian embassy in Prague that the deal to use the atlas will not be renewed after 2017, the year in which the current license expires.

Palestinian ambassador Khalid al Atrash said that the book will be adopted again only after the mistake is corrected.

“The school book was reviewed by an accuracy committee of two specialists who did not inform the Czech ministry of the mistake or the need to correct it,” the ambassador added, citing the letter received from the Czech Ministry.

The Palestinian embassy added that the Czech move ensured that Prague’s position was in line with that of the European Union, which considers the Israeli annexation of Jerusalem illegal.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem in 1967 and annexed it in 1980 in a move deemed void by the UN Security Council.

The lack of recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital explains the presence of the majority of foreign embassies and diplomatic staff in Tel-Aviv.

Ironically, these countries usually set up their diplomatic missions to serve the Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem. 

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