Naftali Bennett
Naftali BennettFlash 90

On the basis of the conclusions of the Bitton Commission, which deals with giving the educational system Sephardi heritage content, Minister Naftali Bennett said that he would act with determination to erase the recent phenomenon of discrimination against girls of Sephardi heritage in haredi girls' schools.

"I will not accept discrimination. I will fight against it with all my power," Bennett said to Radio Kol Hai.

Bennett first addressed why he advanced reforms to integrate Sephardi heritage education into curricula. "I saw a very serious matter. From the founding of the State, the educational system only taught the Ashkenazi half of the narrative. They forgot to teach many things such as about the rabbis of Sephardi heritage, the Sephardi poetry and song, the immigration of Jews from North Africa, the absorption camps of the fifties that comprised mostly Jews from Arab countries.

"Even here in Jerusalem they're always talking about the neighborhood of Mishkenot Sha'ananim as one of the first Jerusalem neighborhoods outside the old city walls, but what about the Mugrabi neighborhood that was founded outside the walls of the old city? Don't we deserve the full story?" he wondered.

Regarding the situation of discrimination in haredi institutions, Bennett stated: "I gave a clear instruction to the principal of the haredi district: I will not tolerate discrimination [...] It can't be that in 2016 girls are discriminated against because of they are Sephardi, that's Sodom and Gemorrah."