Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon - received official apology
Photo: Noam Moscowitz
Anti-Israel bias in Mexican school exam
Diplomatic crisis averted at last minute over geography exam with anti-Israel question. Mexican officials claim question was 'external mistake,' apologize
An anti-Israeli question that appeared on a national exam in Mexico brought about protest from Mexico's Jewish community.
Dialogue between the two countries did lead to a clarification and apology from the Mexican government over the "external mistake" but the Foreign Ministry estimates that certain interest groups interfered in the content of the exam and caused the slanted phrasing.
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Last month, a question on a geography test focusing on the economic reasons for the Israel-Palestinian conflict included the following answers: "The Jewish community used biased and racist methods against the Arab population when the State of Israel was founded", and "Israel uses its military superiority to control borders, roads, airspace and maritime space."
The answers angered members of Mexico's Jewish community who claimed the test was biased against Israel and noted that this was the second year in a row where an anti-Israel question appears on the exams.
The resulting diplomatic storm led Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon to raise the issue with his Mexican counterpart within the framework of the strategic dialogue between the two countries.
The ministry received an official apology from the Mexican Education Ministry a few days ago, signed by the local minister Alonso Lujambio.
The minister promised that questions of that nature would no longer be used on the national exams and noted that the exam was written by an external advisor paid for her services as exam writer, and not by officials in his office.
The incident occurred at a time when a new statue in the image of PLO chief and former president of the Palestinian Authority Yasser Arafat was inaugurated in Mexico City.
At a ceremony held a few weeks ago, the Palestinian ambassador unveiled the statue in front of senior officials in the Mexican government and Arab dignitaries.
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