A/HRC/10/8/Add.2 page 21 71. Personal status questions in both Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory show the delicate relationship between State and religion. Even though the various religious courts for historical reasons have the jurisdiction for issues such as marriage and divorce, this does not absolve the authorities from their responsibility to ensure equal treatment and the implementation of human rights for all individuals. 72. The Special Rapporteur was deeply impressed by the guided tour through the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum. She would like to emphasize the importance of documenting the history, preserving the memory of the victims and educating future generations. In her press statement of 27 January 2008, the Special Rapporteur referred to the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust and joined the United Nations Secretary-General in remembering those whose rights were brutally desecrated at Auschwitz and elsewhere as well as in genocides and atrocities since. 73. The Special Rapporteur is encouraged by the engagement of many Israeli and Palestinian civil society organisations which have demonstrated that - despite conflict and religious polarization - people belonging to different religions and beliefs are able to extend respect and tolerance to each other. There also have been promising approaches of inter-faith and intra-faith dialogue on various levels. At the same time, the Special Rapporteur is concerned that many individuals she met during her visit in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory bear deep resentments against other religions and their adherents. 74. A major challenge, which needs to be addressed immediately in order to avoid a further deterioration of the situation, is to effectively sanction any advocacy of religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence. However, impunity for such acts of incitement is a concern both in the State of Israel and in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Furthermore, the persistence of violence committed in the name of religion is disturbing, for example with regard to violent acts perpetrated by zealous settlers or even worse in the form of suicide bombings by militant Islamists. 75. It is particularly worrying when children are being incited to express hatred toward those with a different religious affiliation. Education for tolerance, respect and recognition of diversity seems vital to get out of a vicious circle of discrimination, hostility and violence. In addition, long-term confidence building measures are required on all sides and at various levels. The Special Rapporteur would like to refer to the International Consultative Conference on School Education in Relation to Freedom of Religion or Belief, Tolerance and Non-Discrimination, in which both the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority actively participated. The Madrid Final Document (E/CN.4/2002/73, appendix), which was adopted by consensus on 25 November 2001, emphasizes that the young generation should be brought up in a spirit of peace, tolerance, mutual understanding and respect for human rights - especially for the respect of freedom of religion or belief - and that it should be protected against all forms of discrimination and intolerance based on religion or belief. Appropriate measures should be taken against such forms of intolerance and discrimination which manifest themselves in school curricula, textbooks and teaching methods as well as those disseminated by the media and the new information technologies, including the Internet. Furthermore, teachers and students should be provided with voluntary opportunities for meetings with their counterparts of different religions or beliefs.

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