Israeli Textbooks and Children’s Literature

[number6]

http://www.washington-report.org/backissues/0999/9909019.html

Special Report SEPTEMBER 1999, pages 19-20
(posted here because older than three weeks) rather than I/P frm

Israeli Textbooks and Children’s Literature Promote Racism and Hatred Toward Palestinians and Arabs

By Maureen Meehan

Israeli school textbooks as well as children’s storybooks, according to recent academic studies and surveys, portray Palestinians and Arabs as “murderers,” “rioters,” “suspicious,” and generally backward and unproductive. Direct delegitimization and negative stereotyping of Palestinians and Arabs are the rule rather than the exception in Israeli schoolbooks.

Professor Daniel Bar-Tal of Tel Aviv University studied 124 elementary, middle- and high school textbooks on grammar and Hebrew literature, history, geography and citizenship. Bar-Tal concluded that Israeli textbooks present the view that Jews are involved in a justified, even humanitarian, war against an Arab enemy that refuses to accept and acknowledge the existence and rights of Jews in Israel.

snip

Hebrew-language geography books from the 1950s through 1970s focused on the glory of Israel’s ancient past and how the land was “neglected and destroyed” by the Arabs until the Jews returned from their forced exile and revived it “with the help of the Zionist movement.”

snip

Textbooks currently being used in the Israeli school system, says Bar-Tal, contain less direct denigration of Arabs but continue to stereotype them negatively when referring to them. He pointed out that Hebrew- as well as Arabic-language textbooks used in elementary and junior high schools contain very few references either to Arabs or to Arab-Jewish relations. The coordinator of a Palestinian NGO in Israel said that major historical events hardly get a mention either.

......

[mmm]

1. This is DAMNING evidence!

I can't wait for the apologists to show up. Sad sad sad.
Racist is what they call it. I call it proof that
the US should cut off 100% of our aid to Sharon.
This is monstrous stuff.

[Jim Sagle]

6. Horseshit.

[grok]

2. Both sides have alot to answer for.

Indoctrinating children into hate and terrorism is a bad thing. More lost generations.

Check these quotes from Arabic/Palestinan schoolbooks. actually FAR better documented. there are many organizations that have been doing research on Palestinian/Arabic scooling and schoolbooks. Too much data is available to deny. I could probably match you 50 to one in nasty samples.

http://www.gamla.org.il/english/article/1998/july/ler3.htm

http://www.virtualjerusalem.com/news/lateststories/?disp_feature=lG9Q4N.var



http://www.eufunding.org/Textbooks/Overview.htm

http://www.nad-plo.org/textbooks/third_sub.pdf

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/local/story/71199p-66134c.html

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/local/story/71199p-66134c.html

http://www.nad-plo.org/textbooks/what%20did%20u%20study.html

Even schoolbooks in muslim schools in US!

http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/myths/mf15.html#e

Frankly, the hatred in palestinean schools books is far far more obvious for jews and the glorifying of the terrorists and violence. They hide don't even have the shame to hide it at ALL!


I am not going to blow smoke up your butt and say they are disinterested parties. Any more than your source. But lets keep it real.

BTW, this what i found in a few minutes on the net doing a search. Sloppily at that. Someone else could do a better job.

At least Israel will get rid of Sharon eventually.

[number6]

3. I just wonder what the latest is in Israeli schools..

are they getting better or worse ..
they giving a more favorable view of Arabs ??
anybody care to comment ??

obviously Arab/Palestinian schools in the ME could do better.

[number6]

4. thanx to mod for letting me slide on 3 week rule

this was originally in Articles section.

[SwellGround]

5. This statement is quite clear...

<Professor Daniel Bar-Tal of Tel Aviv University studied 124 elementary, middle- and high school textbooks on grammar and Hebrew
literature, history, geography and citizenship. Bar-Tal concluded that Israeli textbooks present the view that Jews are involved in a justified,
even humanitarian, war against an Arab enemy that refuses to accept and acknowledge the existence and rights of Jews in Israel.>

That is a true statement.

[newyorican]

7. contrast and compare...

the responses. It can be amusing.

2003 Palestinian Authority Textbook Calls for Jihad and Martyrdom

[Moderator]

8. Locking

Per I/P guidelines