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Last update - 21:33 03/06/2008
Effort to soften harsh portrayal of Jews in Palestinian textbooks reversed by Hamas regime
By The Associated Press
Tags: Hamas, Palestinian textbooks 

Authors of Palestinian school textbooks took small steps toward
softening their harsh portrayals of Jews and Israel under the rule of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, but progress was quickly reversed after the Islamic Hamas won a 2006 election, according to a report released on Tuesday.

The report by the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-SE) and the American Jewish Committee looked at 120 textbooks published from 2000 to 2006 for how they perceived Jews and Israel.
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The report reflects charges by Israelis that Palestinian textbooks are not in keeping with a peace process that started in 1993. Palestinians counter that Jewish Israeli students are not taught about Palestinian suffering.

Arnon Groiss, author of the report, Palestinian Textbooks: From Arafat to Abbas and Hamas said most of the textbooks from first to tenth grade, issued under the late Yasser Arafat's rule, did not acknowledge any historical Jewish presence in ancient Palestine, nor does modern-day Israel appear on maps. Jews are vilified as schemers and killers.

But in grade 11 books issued under Abbas, there are two maps showing Israel within the cease-fire line before the 1967 Six Day war, when Israel captured east Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
The textbooks issued under Abbas' rule also include a discussion of Jewish history in the region, the report said.

However, in 2006, the militant Islamic Hamas came to power and issued a grade 12 textbook that dramatically reversed those steps. Jews are likened to snakes, and fighting for the sake of Palestine is praised effusively.

Mixed with anti-Semitic sentiments in the textbooks are genuine Palestinian complaints against Israel, including settlement building and the Israeli separation barrier.

"Palestinian grievances are legitimate, they were harshly hurt by Israel," said Groiss. "But if (Jewish Israelis) are only presented through that prism, that's wrong. We can't see any balance," he said.

Jamal Zakkout, spokesman for Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, said Palestinian textbooks should emphasize connection to the land and a call for tolerance.

But Zakkout said the main cause for Palestinian ill will toward Israel is not the textbooks, but Israel's many checkpoints in the West Bank, the separation barrier and military operations in Palestinian towns.
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  1.   Every nations textbooks contain propaganda 21:44  |  Natallie Durson 03/06/08
  2.   Backward society 21:51  |  Michael 03/06/08
  3.   The text books under abbas should show that israel has grabbed 21:52  |  lakshmi 03/06/08
  4.   Why they hate Israelis 21:53  |  David James Vickery 03/06/08
  5.   #1 Natallie 21:55  |  Michael 03/06/08
  6.   PA doubletalk. If the books have no effect, why not change them! 21:55  |  McQueen 03/06/08
  7.   pals playing games means nothing useless beaurocrats 21:59  |  ralph 03/06/08
  8.   Natallie Durson - put up or shut up 22:16  |  Joe Sittizen 03/06/08
  9.   Teaching children hatred is counterproductive 22:16  |  Psychologist 03/06/08
  10.   You kick our BUTS and you want us to love 22:19  |  Palestinian 03/06/08
  11.   Nataliie`s Double Speak 22:20  |  JP 03/06/08
  12.   natallie,give us proof of these poisonous books you speak of 22:20  |  terrornator 03/06/08
  13.   Also, the racism is true 22:21  |  lakshmi 03/06/08
  14.   Poor Arab Victims 22:37  |  Mark Wiseman 03/06/08
  15.   Nazi Germany also had textbook problems what`s the big deal 22:37  |  Natallie Durson 03/06/08
  16.   palestinian,first,there is no state or country named palestine, 22:40  |  terrornator 03/06/08
  17.   lakshmi,you,and other muslims racism is evident every single day 22:42  |  terrornator 03/06/08
  18.   or McQueen 22:55  |  Dave Duncan 03/06/08
  19.   Natalie - #1 23:00  |  Elihu 03/06/08
  20.   very important issue 23:02  |  paulo2005 03/06/08
  21.   OK Jews are snakes & smart but Arabs are dirty dogs,pigs &monkeys 23:13  |  Genuine Tosefta 03/06/08
  22.   NO visas into US for students of Hamas "math" and hatred... 23:18  |  Dr. L. Brnd 03/06/08
  23.   NO visas into US for students of Hamas "math" and hatred... 23:18  |  Dr. L. Brnd 03/06/08
  24.   Textbooks in Mississippi in 1965 potrayed 23:25  |  Natallie DUHson 03/06/08
  25.   poor palestinian 23:31  |  Connie 03/06/08
  26.   nutallie #15 the probelm,you poor ignorant slob,is,it created a 23:33  |  terrornator 03/06/08
  27.   Lakshmi#3 - as long as it gives accurate accounts of Arabs 23:33  |  William 03/06/08
  28.   Durson lies again 23:34  |  leo 03/06/08
  29.   Israeli textbooks ARE FILLED with PROPAGANDA 23:36  |  THE GOY OF ISRAEL 03/06/08
  30.   #19 paulo2005 excellent post 23:39  |  MR 03/06/08
  31.   To Palestinian#10 - You know little of Israel and its people 23:40  |  William 03/06/08
  32.   Nutallie DUHson#24 - "Everybody is entitled to their view" 23:45  |  William 03/06/08
  33.   Palestinian suffering 23:46  |  Sam C 03/06/08
  34.   durson...... 23:57  |  franny 03/06/08
  35.   Hamas is learning 23:59  |  W 03/06/08
  36.   Durson: No Big Deal 00:03  |  Brad 04/06/08
  37.   No. 12, terrornator 00:04  |  W 04/06/08
  38.   hence, no peace. destroy hamas and destroy war. 00:09  |  frenz 04/06/08
  39.   The truth hurts! 00:15  |  Natallie Durson 04/06/08
  40.   A good reason NOT to give pals entrance and education to the US 00:19  |  Avram 04/06/08
  41.   Right on, Terrornator 00:26  |  Joe Abramson 04/06/08
  42.   #4 David Vickery 00:39  |  ballistic 04/06/08
  43.   natalie on Nazi Germany 00:44  |  Tziril Esther 04/06/08
  44.   Avram- Unless Israel takes responsibility for the 00:45  |  AVROOOM! 04/06/08
  45.   William - Sorry most maps do not show Palestine 00:46  |  MAP MAN 04/06/08
  46.   #12 There goes Terrornator, off the chain again 00:47  |  ballistic 04/06/08
  47.   to natalie 00:47  |  Tziril Esther 04/06/08
  48.   The Text Book Fraud Revisited 00:49  |  Jonah S. 04/06/08
  49.   27 William,in your eagerness to list Hamas`s crimes you repeated 00:49  |  lakshmi 04/06/08
  50.   #16 Terrornator 00:53  |  ballistic 04/06/08
  51.   #22 L Brnd 00:56  |  ballistic 04/06/08
  52.   Let`s make a deal here: Israel withdraws from the West Bank..... 01:07  |  Swiss (Dino) 04/06/08
  53.   This conflict is so difficult if you are not a party in it 01:11  |  Mark B. 04/06/08
  54.   To #4 Vickery...you are not an expert on the 01:11  |  spade 04/06/08
  55.   what else is new ? 01:18  |  alan 04/06/08
  56.   Response to writer # 3 01:23  |  Steven Good 04/06/08
  57.   THEYwant to poison the minds of the next generation against peace 01:30  |  PETER SM 04/06/08
  58.   natallie,the truth does hurt,don`t it,shame you can`t present 01:33  |  terrornator 04/06/08
  59.   Making Peace 01:41  |  Dov Ber 04/06/08
  60.   #39 The truth hurts Durson 02:07  |  Connie 04/06/08
  61.   say ballestic,i see you got enough nerve to sign your own name 02:12  |  terrornator 04/06/08
  62.   Why not abolish the Palestinian concentration camps? 02:13  |  Sam 04/06/08
  63.   #9 Psychologist 02:24  |  Space 04/06/08
  64.   What a weak argument by Hamas 02:24  |  joey 04/06/08
  65.   Hamas and their supporters are ridiculous. 02:29  |  ScotGuy 04/06/08
  66.   #42 Swiss. I`ve got a deal for you... 02:44  |  Chaim 04/06/08
  67.   Reality 02:54  |  Jay Imana 04/06/08
  68.   #44 -Swiss(Dino) - You and Your Suggestion Aren`t Fair Enough 03:04  |  JP 04/06/08
  69.   ...And who is surprised by this? Hamas and the phony olive branch 03:08  |  Doc Holliday 04/06/08
  70.   ballestic,spouting her moronic ,half baked lies again 03:34  |  terrornator 04/06/08
  71.   Herr DOKTOR Brnd. no visas for Palestinians or Jews 04:02  |  American in NY 04/06/08
  72.