Posted on 11/21/2001 9:54:31 AM PST by NativeNewYorker
JERUSALEM, Nov. 21 (UPI) -- Israeli experts who scrutinized textbooks the Palestinian Authority uses in its schools said Wednesday they foster a rejection of the State of Israel and instill hateful stereotypes of it and of Jews.
The study by the Center for Monitoring the Impact of Peace, a non-profit organization with offices in Jerusalem and New York, said it based its conclusions on analyzing 58 textbooks the Palestinian Authority introduced into its curriculum in the past two years.
The center's vice chairman, Yohanan Manor, told a news conference in Jerusalem the concept of peace with Israel does not appear in those books.
"They fail to teach the youth to see Israel as a neighbor with whom peaceful relations should be desired," its report said.
"The peace process is not addressed nor mentioned," Manor added.
The textbooks advocate tolerance, but all the examples talk of tolerance between Muslims and Christians, with no reference to Jews or Israelis. Some texts attribute to Jews "traits of trickery, greed and barbarity," the report added.
Israel's name and the names of its cities do not appear on the maps. Manor showed one of the textbooks whose cover included a picture of a stamp issued by the British Mandate, before Israel was established. The picture contained the name Palestine in English, Arabic, but the Hebrew letters were erased.
The holy places mentioned are exclusively Muslim and Christian. When Jewish holy sites are mentioned, such as the Western Wall in Jerusalem, the only remaining relic of the ancient Temple, it is described as a Moslem place that the Israelis are trying to Judaize.
Last year, the center examined Israeli textbooks. Manor said they show an effort "to prepare the young generation to openness and peace."
They discuss the refugee issue and contain stories such as how Arabs saved young Jews and Jews saved young Arabs, he said.
Part of that trend was pushed by the then dovish Education Minister Yossi Sarid. Israel's hawkish Limor Livnat this year replaced Sarid as Minister of Education but only one textbook was withdrawn from the curriculum, Manor said.
The Palestinian side could not be contacted for immediate comment.
I think one should add to this..."provided there are any jews left who aren't turned into bars of soap...". Really...did jews in the Nazi-occupied territories believe this? I think it's hard for the jewish community to take this tact after facing extermination not all that long ago.
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These are very sick little jewsies. They miss the "good old days" of the ghetto. I'm Orthodox myself, and I call these guys The Jewish Taliban
While they are out partying with their terrorist chums:
Their fellow Jews are scraping blood and guts off the sidewalks:
I have seen some of the books used by the "ultra-Orthodox" schools. While they promote Jewish observance and pride in the Jewish faith, they also teach tolerance and compassion for non-Jews. There is a series of children's books, Yeladim Mesaprim Al Atzmon ("Children Talk About Themselves") which contain a story of a Bedouin Arab who saves an Israeli child from drowning. The Arab almost drowns himself, and the rescued child, his parents and brothers all organize a "Psalm group" to pray for this Arab until his recovery. I thought this was a very heartwarming story, like the "Chicken Soup for the Soul." I think it is available in English translation but not sure of the title or the publisher.
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