Outgoing Education Minister Shai Piron (Yesh Atid) faces intense backlash Sunday, after he suggested that Israeli schools must teach the Palestinian Authority (PA)'s version of Independence Day - "Nakba Day," which paints Israel's establishment as a "grand tragedy."
"Shai Piron's positioning, calling for 'Nakba Day' to be taught in schools, is a fundamental mistake," former Education Minister Gidon Sa'ar (Likud) wrote on his Facebook page Sunday morning. "Our country can't give legitimacy to the view that its own establishment was a disaster."
Piron has stated during a speech at the Kibbutzim College of Education last week that he was "opposed" to 'Nakba Day' being taught to Arab students - and instead, is "all for teaching Nakba to all students in Israel."
Sa'ar, during his term as deputy Education Minister, removed the term "Nakba Day" from the educational system in 2009.
Former IDF Chief Rabbi Avichai Ronsky also criticized Piron for the remark.
"What ideas of 'narrative' and 'historical truth' are there in teaching 'Nakba Day' to school children when it is based on a complete lie?" Ronsky fired.
"After all, the simple truth is that the Arabs wanted to destroy us, and by the grace of God and the heroism of soldiers who fought for our Independence, we instead made thousands of them flee and become refugees in Arab countries."
"How long will we, in the name of 'pluralism,' continue to poison the lives of our students and teach them how 'right' and 'just' the 'Arab struggle' is?" he added.