by Ariel Bolstein
Anyone who dreams of peace in the Middle East must first root out this incitement from the education system.
Over the years we have
grown accustomed to the international community treating the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict with a double standard. In the majority of
cases, the world is quick to blame Israel for all the problems in the
region, whereas the Palestinians are commonly met with forgiveness and
understanding. It is especially grating when these double standards
spread afield throughout Europe, because we should be able to expect
that our friends -- with whom we share similar moral values and a desire
for progress -- not to turn a blind eye when those values are trampled
on by those who harbor ill will toward Israel. It is therefore
encouraging to learn that the Mideast Freedom Forum Berlin, a reputable
German think tank, is focusing a spotlight on the Palestinian Authority
educational system.
Recently published
research by the MFFB deals with the textbooks used in the first to ninth
grades in the PA, including schools operated by the U.N. Relief and
Works Agency. Textbooks are the most important indicator of a society's
values. They reflect everything we seek to pass on to the next
generation. And in the case of the Palestinians, the MBFF research
reveals, the next generation mostly receives messages of burning hatred.
Textbooks in the PA
contain condescending and degrading language about Jews. There isn't a
lack of examples. No place where Jews live, regardless of location or
size, is described as a city, village or community. These places are
only depicted as Arab villages and towns. On the subject of those places
where Jews live, whether in large numbers as in Tel Aviv or a small
kibbutz, researchers found that they are universally referred to as
"settlements." The word "Israel" is also hard to find in Palestinian
textbooks and is replaced with terms like "the occupation regime," or
"the Zionist terrorist organization." History books ignore all vestiges
of Jewish civilization. Maps in the PA's geography textbooks provide no
redemption either -- Israel simply does not appear in them. The authors
of one textbook didn't even spare the Mandatory-era stamp. On the
original stamp, produced by the British, the name of the land appears in
three languages, but Palestinian students will only see its censored
version, without Hebrew, which was erased.
And if anybody thinks
this is all arbitrary, the researchers offer their primary conclusion
and determine unequivocally: In no Palestinian textbook will one find
any call for peace, tolerance or mutual understanding. Meanwhile, calls
to fight and carry out violent attacks against Israelis appear
frequently. Those who perpetrate such attacks are glorified and praised
profusely. Terms like "jihad," "shahid," "heroism," and "sacrifice" are
reserved for acts against the "Zionist enemy." As early as the second
grade, textbooks emphasize the importance of shahids (martyrs) and
implore the young pupils to visit the families of those who have fallen
on the altar of jihad.
The researchers
conservatively describe the inciting textbooks as "problematic," but
also don't hesitate to conclude that these books promote and entrench
hatred against Jews and Israelis, and contribute to legitimizing
violence as a means to resolving the diplomatic conflict. Anyone who
dreams of peace in the Middle East must first root out this incitement
from the education system. Considering the fact that PA schools are
largely funded by European donations, responsibility for teaching this
hate and its consequences falls on the shoulders of European leaders.
Ariel Bolstein is the founder of the Israel advocacy organization Faces of Israel.
Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_opinion.php?id=15733
Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.
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