Education Minister Gideon Sa'ar
Photo: Yaron Brener
Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi at Yad Vashem (archives)
Photo: Flash 90
Italian schools will include the Holocaust in their study program, an agreement signed between Israel and Italy has concluded.
Education Minister Gideon Sa'ar and his Italian counterpart Mariastella Gelmini also agreed last week that Italian teachers would undergo annual training at the Yad Vashem center in Jerusalem.
The two signed teacher training and student exchange agreements during the Israeli ministerial delegation's visit in Rome.
Italy was Nazi Germany's ally during World War II.
Minister Sa'ar said that Holocaust education in Europe and the world will help contain the spread of Holocaust denial.
It was also decided to form a joint steering committee which will promote meetings between Israeli and Italian students. "Friendship among teens is the best guarantee for the future of our peoples' relations," the education minister said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and eight ministers signed nine bilateral agreements with Italy recently.
During a joint press conference with Netanyahu in Rome, Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi praised Sa'ar for his decision to introduce the Italian language matriculation exam in Israel. Some 40 Israeli students will take the exam this year, and 200 have already registered to take it in 2012.
Itamar Eichner contributed to this report
- Follow Ynetnews on Facebook