During the debate, Ayalon defended settlement expansion. “They have a right to accommodate their basic needs according to natural growth,” he said, “like build a kindergarten, build a balcony or extra room to their house as their family grows.”
Although Ayalon said he supports a two-state solution, he fears a “salami mentality” and repeated his mantra – “Two states, but only on condition the Palestinians agree to say this in Arabic and teach their children the wording drafted in the Road Map for Peace, stressing two states for two people, with one of those people being the Jewish people. The details are important because the Palestinians have conveniently omitted that the second state is a ‘Jewish’ state.”
Yeshiva University hosted a dinner in Ayalon’s honor at the conclusion of his course. Ayalon, who will return for the fall semester, praised YU’s educational philosophy based on principles of Torah U’madda and said the Israeli education system could learn from it.
“While the haredim would benefit by including science, math and English in their curriculum so that they could be gainfully employed, the Israeli educational system ought to focus more on Yiddishkeit and mandate that all Israeli schools provide a minimum of ten hours per week of Bible and Talmud classes.”
