[size=4]Book-burning principal faces hearing[/size=4]
By Miriam Shaviv

JERUSALEM (December 26) - The Education Ministry has called in the principal of a school where a teacher publicly burned a copy of the New Testament for a disciplinary hearing.

Spokeswoman Orit Reuveni said that the ministry would decide on further action after the hearing.

"This is a serious matter, and the ministry condemns book-burning of any kind," she said.

The ministry first learned of the incident through The Jerusalem Post's inquiries, and an article published in yesterday's paper.

The week before Hanukka, a teacher in the state religious Orot School in Beit Shemesh discovered that one of his sixth-grade students had brought in a Hebrew copy of the New Testament, given to him by Christian missionaries. The teacher consulted with the principal, Rabbi Yair Bachar, and after receiving his approval, burned the book in the school courtyard.

The incident made waves in the Knesset yesterday, with MK Ran Cohen (Meretz) saying he was "astounded" to read about the case in the Post. He demanded that Education Minister Limor Livnat publish a formal announcement deploring the burning of other religions' holy books.

"The government has already managed to turn the entire Christian world against us by stupidly stopping Yasser Arafat from attending the Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem. Do we really need a teacher from Beit Shemesh to finish the business?" he asked.

Reuveni said the ministry "utterly condemns book-burning. This is a very serious incident." She did not say when the meeting with Bachar would take place.

See article at:[url]
http://www.jpost.com/Editions/2001/12/26/News/News.40595.html[/url]

Eric The(CallItALastMinuteChristmasPresent)Hun[>]:)]