No recognition of the existence of the State of Israel: the map of the countries of the Arab homeland as it appears in a PA textbook published in 2017. Palestine appears on the map with the Palestinian flag. Israel is not mentioned. The textbook is called National and Social Fostering, for the fourth grade, Part One (2017), p. 7.

No recognition of the existence of the State of Israel: the map of the countries of the Arab homeland as it appears in a PA textbook published in 2017. Palestine appears on the map with the Palestinian flag. Israel is not mentioned. The textbook is called National and Social Fostering, for the fourth grade, Part One (2017), p. 7.

Overview

A comprehensive study was recently issued on PA schoolbooks’ attitude to the Jews, Israel and peace. The study covers PA schoolbooks published in the past four years (the PA has not yet completed issuing new textbooks). The study was conducted by Dr. Arnon Groiss and Dr. Ronni Shaked from the Truman Institute at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. It was undertaken at the request of the Center for Near East Policy Research and was recently issued in Hebrew by the Center in conjunction with the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies at Bar Ilan University. The study was made possible by a grant from the Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles.

According to the findings of the study, PA schoolbooks’ attitude to the Jews, Israel and peace is based on three fundamentals: de-legitimization, demonization and indoctrination to violent struggle. There is no call for peace or coexistence with neighboring Israel. A Palestinian narrative has been constructed based on the fundamentals. It represents the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a distorted manner historically and does not leave any hope for ending it in peaceful coexistence of the two parties involved.

The findings are consistent with other studies of Palestinian textbooks conducted in the past decade (some of which were issued in Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center bulletins). The studies repeatedly show a deep-rooted hostility to Israel in the Palestinian educational system. It is a function of the Palestinian ethos on which generations of Palestinians have been educated, including the present generation. The Palestinian ethos had led to a culture of hatred for the State of Israel and the Jewish people, thus fueling terrorism, violence and incitement against Israel.

Dr. Reuven Erlich (Res. Colonel)
Head of the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center

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