Prague, Sept 6 (CTK) – The school atlas which denotes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel will not be changed immediately, Education Minister Katerina Valachova (Social Democrats, CSSD) told Czech Radio on Tuesday.
The atlas has a valid certificate for textbooks until 2017 and the ministry will not interfere in it, Valachova said.
Palestinians protest against the state of affairs and demand that the capital be rewritten to Tel Aviv.
Israel’s followers, who insist on Jerusalem being its capital, have called a rally on the Wenceslas Square in the Prague center for Wednesday.
In 1949, Israel declared Jerusalem as its capital, but most countries have not recognised it.
In August, the embassy of Palestine expressed a sharp protest against the atlas.
Palestinian Ambassador Khaled Alattrash has told the paper Mlada fronta Dnes (MfD) that the scandal came to light when children from the local Palestinian community brought one copy of the atlas to their home.
Valachova said reality would be described in school atlases.
“Jerusalem is Israel’s capital from the viewpoint of the declaration of the country to which this relates, which means Israel,” Valachova said.
“If there is a sentence relating to all of the international steps, I believe that this fact will not offend either side,” she added.
Valachova said both sides that were vocal should realise that it was not the task of the ministry to be involved in politics.
Karel Krsak, an agent from the firm Shocart which has published the atlas, has told CTK that in the application for a new certificate, the firm would respect the recommendation by the Education Ministry.
The firm is considering publishing both versions with a disclaimer saying who recognises what capital of Israel, Krsak said, adding that the atlas has been sold for over a decade.
The Foreign Ministry has also expressed its position. “The status of Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel is not internationally recognised,” its press release said.
“Along with other EU members, based on the conclusions of the EU Council for Foreign Affairs, the Czech Republic considers Jerusalem the future capital of both states, which means the State of Israel and the future State of Palestine,” it added.
The ministry said Tel Aviv was the seat of most foreign diplomatic offices, including that of the Czech Republic.
Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka has received two open letters with opposite demands. They were sent by the Mayor of Jerusalem, Nir Barkat, and the Palestinian Club in the Czech Republic, which was joined by the International Solidarity Movement in the Czech Republic.
There is an online petition for the maintenance of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. It has been signed by over 2,600 people.
