IV 111th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 511 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES June 4, 2009 Mr. Moran of Virginia (for himself, Mr. Baird, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Ellison, Mr. Farr, Mr. Filner, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Honda, Mr. Kucinich, Ms. Lee of California, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Olver, Mr. Rahall, and Mr. Stark) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs RESOLUTION Commending efforts to teach the history of both Israelis and Palestinians to students in Israel and the West Bank in order to foster mutual understanding, respect, and tolerance.

Whereas the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict illustrates the need for both sides of the conflict to understand the perspective of the “other”, and so requires teachers with the motivation, knowledge, and compassion to teach Israeli and Palestinian students the historical perspective of those they may fear; Whereas Stephen Lassiter and Brian Phelps, graduates of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill teaching at the Ramallah Friends School in the West Bank, took the initiative to teach Jewish history to Palestinian students by introducing them to The Diary of Anne Frank, encouraging them to understand the experience of the Jewish people during the Holocaust; Whereas Yiftah Ron, an Israeli-Jewish teacher, took it upon himself to teach both Israeli and Palestinian perspectives of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to Jewish and Arab students at the Hand-in-Hand school in Israel, including teaching Israeli-Jewish students the Palestinian perspective of the 1948 war; Whereas during her term as Israeli Minister of Education, Yuli Tamir, approved a program to familiarize Jewish and Arab Israeli students from nursery school through 12th grade with the culture of their counterparts, their narrative, and its legitimacy; Whereas these individuals and these schools exemplify the kind of small steps that must be taken on the long road to peace; and Whereas real peace between Palestinians and Israelis will require Israelis and Palestinians to understand the historical experience and narrative of the other: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives— (1)applauds the efforts of those who attempt to build tolerance and mutual understanding among Israelis and Palestinians through education; (2)commends the Ramallah Friends School in the West Bank and the Hand-in-Hand School in Israel for providing their students the opportunity to expand their horizons beyond their day-to-day life, and applauds other schools and teachers who have undertaken similar initiatives; (3)encourages the Department of State to continue supporting programs that promote understanding between Israelis and Palestinians and Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs; and (4)applauds the teaching of the history of both Israelis and Palestinians in the region so that mutual understanding, appreciation, and tolerance can flourish between two people destined to share the Holy Land.