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Palestinian Textbooks: Palestinians Instruct Teachers to Teach Hate

(March 2002)

  The Palestinian Ministry of Education is providing clear direction to its high school history teachers to inculcate the view among the students that Zionism is a racist movement similar to Fascism and Nazism. The textbooks ignore the political negotiation channel that is meant to bring an end to the conflict in the region. On the contrary they emphasize the attachment of the Palestinian people to all of "Palestine" in its historical boundaries.
   In Chapter 14 called "Zionism" in the instruction book for high school teachers, the Palestinian Ministry of Education defines for its teaching staff the required objectives in teaching this chapter, among which are: "Objective 5 - The student will understand the reasons why the peoples of the world hate the Jews". "Objective 7 - The student will discover the connections between imperialist interests and Zionist interests". "Objective 8 - The student will compare Zionism with imperialism". "Objective 9 - The student will understand the Zionist danger to Arab security and to Arab revival". "Objective 11 - The student will propose ways of dealing with Zionist activity that threaten the Arab world."
   In the introductory chapter to the textbook, the following goals are defined for Palestinian history teachers: "The student will compare the foundations of Fascism and Nazism to those of Zionism. The student will acquire the following (learning) directives: Zionism is an aggressive, racist movement; the sense of racial superiority is the essence of Zionism, Fascism, and Nazism. The student will acquire the following values and perceptions: Understanding the dangers arising from Zionism and from racial discrimination...assessing the negative impact of Zionism on the Arab's revival and development. The student...will make the connection between Zionism and racial discrimination and will trace the connection between Zionism and terrorist movements in the modern world."
 

Sources: Dani Nave, "Inciting and Educating Children Towards Hate, Anti-Semitism, and Violence in the Palestinian Authority," Israeli Prime Minister's Office, March 2002.