Introduction

Between the years 2000-2006 the PA introduced a new curriculum to be taught in all schools in the West Bank and Gaza, as well as in schools in East Jerusalem. Over 250 books for grades 1-12 in various subjects were published within a project partly financed by European countries. The books are continuously reprinted with some changes, but the fundamentals regarding Israel and the Jews have not been altered: delegitimization of the very presence in the country of both Israel and the Jews, demonization of Israel and the Jews, non-advocacy of a peaceful solution to the conflict and, instead, emphasis on a violent struggle for the liberation of Palestine without limiting it to the areas of the West Bank and Gaza. Jihad, martyrdom and the perceived “Right of Return” are part and parcel of that violent struggle.

Following are examples taken from the newest versions available that were mostly published in 2014 and 2015.

De-legitimization

1. Jews have no right in Palestine, only “greedy ambitions” as Zionists:
“The Zionist colonialist greedy ambitions [atmaa’] in Palestine started in 1882”
(National Education, Grade 7 (2013) p. 20)

2. Jewish holy places in the country, such as the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron and Rachel’s Tomb in Bethlehem, are all presented as Muslim holy places usurped by the Jews:
“The 1929 [Arab] revolt [in Palestine against the British authorities]… is known as ‘Al-Buraq Revolt’ in protest against the Jews’ efforts to take hold of the Al-Buraq Wall [the Wailing Wall].”
(National Education, Grade 7 (2013), p. 21)

“The effort to Judaize some of the Muslim religious places such as the Ibrahimi Mosque [the Cave of the Patriarchs] and the Mosque of Bilal bin Rabbah [Rachel’s Tomb] (Bethlehem).”
(National Education, Grade 7 (2013) p. 55)

3. Israel’s establishment in 1948 by virtue of the 1947 UN Partition Resolution is considered “occupation”

Read the full report in PDF, click here.

 

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR