IBA Report on Palestinian Textbooks
Jonathan Elkins: “Good evening, this is IBA news broadcasting from Jerusalem."
Laura Cornfield: “Good evening.”
JE: “Hating Israel and working to destroy the Jewish State is a religious duty – this according to new Palestinian textbooks being distributed to 12th graders in the Palestinian Authority. The information was included in a testimony given to the Knesset education committee today by the Palestinian Media Watch organization. IBA’s Eli Wogelanter was at the hearing and brings us this report.”
Eli Wrogelanter: “Knesset education committee heard testimony today of how Palestinian schoolchildren are being indoctrinated to glorify terror, hate Israel, vilify Israel’s existence, and define the battle with Israel as uncompromising religious war.
This according to a 35-page report presented by Palestinian Media Watch – an organization that monitors Palestinian Arabic language media and schoolbooks. The report cites the textbooks describing the 1948 war as ‘unprecedented in history when the Zionist gangs stole Palestine and expelled its people from their cities, their villages, their lands and their houses.’
Such inscription, says the PMW report, leaves no latitude for students to have positive or even neutral attitudes toward Israel.
Committee chairman Rabbi Michael Melchior said the evidence presented represents a serious setback to any peace efforts.
Melchior: ‘We have to know the situation, it’s bad. The teachers are bad. The poison, the hatred which the young kids are receiving today in the Palestinian Authority, the turn to make this an existential religious conflict is the biggest danger to peace. And therefore, anybody who is for peace has to be outraged by these findings which we heard today.’
Melchior said he will demand the Prime Minister Ehud Olmert bring up the textbooks as the first issue to be discussed in his next meeting with Palestinian Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.
Eli Rogelanter, IBA News.”
Laura Cornfield: “Good evening.”
JE: “Hating Israel and working to destroy the Jewish State is a religious duty – this according to new Palestinian textbooks being distributed to 12th graders in the Palestinian Authority. The information was included in a testimony given to the Knesset education committee today by the Palestinian Media Watch organization. IBA’s Eli Wogelanter was at the hearing and brings us this report.”
Eli Wrogelanter: “Knesset education committee heard testimony today of how Palestinian schoolchildren are being indoctrinated to glorify terror, hate Israel, vilify Israel’s existence, and define the battle with Israel as uncompromising religious war.
This according to a 35-page report presented by Palestinian Media Watch – an organization that monitors Palestinian Arabic language media and schoolbooks. The report cites the textbooks describing the 1948 war as ‘unprecedented in history when the Zionist gangs stole Palestine and expelled its people from their cities, their villages, their lands and their houses.’
Such inscription, says the PMW report, leaves no latitude for students to have positive or even neutral attitudes toward Israel.
Committee chairman Rabbi Michael Melchior said the evidence presented represents a serious setback to any peace efforts.
Melchior: ‘We have to know the situation, it’s bad. The teachers are bad. The poison, the hatred which the young kids are receiving today in the Palestinian Authority, the turn to make this an existential religious conflict is the biggest danger to peace. And therefore, anybody who is for peace has to be outraged by these findings which we heard today.’
Melchior said he will demand the Prime Minister Ehud Olmert bring up the textbooks as the first issue to be discussed in his next meeting with Palestinian Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.
Eli Rogelanter, IBA News.”