Following protests, including from the World Jewish Congress, the Czech government reversed a decision to refuse to certify an atlas naming Jerusalem as the capital of Israelfor use in public schools.
The Education Ministry had announced last week that an atlas would be removed following a complaint by the Palestinian ambassador in Prague. However, Minister Katerina Valachova now told Czech Radio that Israel's capital won't be changed to Tel Aviv in the textbooks.
The school atlases would portray reality, stated Valachova. “Jerusalem is Israel’s capital from the viewpoint of the declaration of the country to which this relates, which means Israel,” she said in the radio interview, reported the 'Prague Daily Monitor'. “If there is a sentence relating to all of the international steps, I believe that this fact will not offend either side.”
The atlas has a valid certificate for textbooks until 2017 and her ministry would not interfere with it, Valachova said.
Czechs rally against decision
On Wednesday, around 300 people rallied on Wenceslas Square, the traditional meeting point in the center of Prague, to protest against the decision of the Ministry of Education.
Deputy speaker of the Parliament, Jan Bartosek, stated that "Jerusalem is the capital of Israel while Senator Daniela Filippi recalled that Jerusalem had been the most sacred city to the Jewish nation for three thousand years. She called the Palestinian request "a blatant interference in Czech internal affairs."
World Jewish Congress: 'All countries should recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital'
Last week, World Jewish Congress CEO Robert Singer sent a letter to the Czech education minister in which he stated: "We know that your government and the Czech people are strong friends and supporters of the State of Israel, and we are grateful for this support in times when Israel is increasingly being attacked on the diplomatic front. However, we strongly believe that Israel – like every other sovereign nation – has the right to determine by its own free will its capital city within its national territory and that such decisions cannot be taken by anyone but the State of Israel and its democratically elected government."
Singer went on to write: "It appears self-evident to us that the Israeli decision taken 66 years ago does not prejudge the outcome of any final-status negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians with respect to Jerusalem. The World Jewish Congress strongly believes that all countries should recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital."
“Jerusalem is on the map!” said Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat in a statement on Wednesday, adding, “Truth has indeed overcome lies.”
He also said: “I’m thankful to the Czech government for making the right choice and for refusing to surrender to Palestinian incitement and lies. Barkat said the friendship between the Czech and Jewish peoples has deep and historical roots.
The atlas, first published by the Czech firm Shocart in 2004, was approved by the ministry for use in Czech elementary and secondary schools in 2011. However, after the Palestinian envoy’s complaint, the ministry said it would demand the publisher alter the labeling to show Tel Aviv as the capital.
Whether the atlas will keep Jerusalem as the Israel's capital in future editions once the existing certificate expires next year is a different question. Karel Krsak, CEO of the publishing firm, told the news agency CTK that in the application for a new certificate, the firm would respect the recommendation by the Education Ministry.
