Israel strips ‘catastrophe’ of nation’s birth from books

Israeli textbooks for Arab school children will no longer say that Arabs refer to the period surrounding the birth of Israel as al-Nakba, or "the catastrophe," Israel’s education minister said Wednesday. In a statement explaining the decision, Gideon Sa’ar said there is “no reason” for the birth of Israel “to be presented as a ‘catastrophe or shoah.'” After Israel was created in 1948, a war broke out between the Israelis and Arabs, and some 700,000 Palestinians either fled or were expelled from their homes. Arabs commemorate the displacement every year with Nakba Day

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Ahmadinejad: Iran welcomes Obama overtures

Iran’s president said Tuesday his country welcomes talks with the United States "in a fair atmosphere with mutual respect." Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made the remarks a day after President Barack Obama said the United States is looking for opportunities for “face to face” dialogue with Iran, even though he has “deep concerns” about Tehran’s actions. “Right now, the world is entering the era of dialogue,” Ahmadinejad told hundreds of thousands of people in a celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Islamic revolution. “The new U.S.

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