RAMALLAH, January 18 (JMCC) - Israel's education minister is proposing sending Israeli children on school trips to the flashpoint Ibrahimi Mosque in the West Bank town of Hebron, he said Wednesday.

The site, revered by both Jews and Muslims, is one of the most hotly contested sites in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the plan has sparked opposition within Israel.

I almost don't understand why I even have to explain why visiting Hebron is crucial to understanding our Jewish heritage, Education Minister Gideon Saar told public radio.

The shrine,  lies in the heart of Hebron, one of the most tense sites in the occupied West Bank.

Opponents said the plan was political and aimed at cementing Israel's hold on the divided city.

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