Hillary Clinton's full statement introducing
PMW's report on Palestinian schoolbook
US Senate Building, February 8, 2007

Click here to see video of Clinton's remarks

Senator Hillary Clinton:
Good morning everyone, and thank you very much for being here.

It is my privilege once again to join Palestinian Media Watch for this press conference, and for the latest report that they have compiled about the Palestinian textbooks.

Director Itamar Marcus, who has been a steadfast leader, has helped to deliver this message which we repeat again today - we must stop the propaganda to which Palestinian children are being exposed. That must be a priority for all people who care about children, who care about the kind of peace, stability, safety and security that Israel deserves to be guaranteed. And it should be a priority for everyone who cares about the future of the Palestinian people. I’m also pleased that with us today is Associate Director Barbara Crook, with whom I have also met in the past to discuss these issues.

I have been speaking out against the incitement of hate and violence in Palestinian textbooks for years. In 2000 I joined Nobel peace prize winner Elie Wiesel in New York to denounce the lessons of hatred and violence that are part of the curricula in Palestinian schools. I wrote, with my colleague Senator Schumer, a letter to President Bush, urging his Administration to do everything in its power to persuade the Palestinians to reverse their hateful rhetoric and embrace the opportunity to move toward a strong and lasting peace in the region.

I joined with Itamar at a Senate hearing, where I reiterated the importance of our country making it clear in every way - these children deserves an education that instills respect for life and peace instead of glorifying death and violence. The videos we viewed at that Senate hearing were a clear example of child abuse. I said that at the time and I repeat it again today. Children were encouraged to see martyrdom and armed struggle and the murder of innocent people as ideals to strive for.

Today, we are here once again to release a report that is deeply disturbing, particularly for the denial of Israel’s existence and the historical omissions of the Holocaust, to cite just two examples.

These textbooks do not give Palestinian children an education; they give them an indoctrination. When we viewed this report in combination with other media that these children are exposed to, we see a larger picture that is disturbing. It is disturbing on a human level, it is disturbing to me as a mother, it is disturbing to me as a United States Senator, because it basically, profoundly poisons the minds of these children.

Hate has no place in the curriculum of schools, and the glorification of violence has no place in the education of children.

This propaganda is dangerous. You know, words really matter. Some people sort of downplay the importance of words. But words really matter. Because in idealizing for children a world without Israel, children are taught never to accept the reality of the State of Israel, never to strive for a better future that would hold out the promise of peace and security to them, and is basically a message of pessimism and fatalism that undermines the possibility for these children living lives of fulfillment and productivity.

This has dire consequences for prospects of peace for generations to come.

Very briefly, the report finds the following in these textbooks: the founding of Israel is described as “a catastrophe that is unprecedented in history.” There is a portrayal of the region in both maps and text in which Israel does not exist. There is the denial of the Holocaust by the omission of historical facts connecting Nazi ideology and actions with the persecution and murder of Jews. For example, the report states, “The textbook teaches the military and the political events of WWII in significant detail including sections on Nazi racist ideology, yet neither the persecution of Jews or the Holocaust is even mentioned.”

Now we will hear more in a minute about this, but I believe education is one of the keys to lasting peace and security in the Middle East and the greater region. For this reason I am deeply concerned by these findings. We cannot build a peaceful, stable, safe future on such a hate-filled violent and radical foundation.

In the years since, I and others - who have been doing it long before I did in 2000- raised this issue, there has still not been an adequate repudiation of this by the Palestinian Authority. A few days ago several of my colleagues from the New York City Council, including my friend the Speaker Chris Quinn, were in Sderot, and the city came under attack from Palestinian rocket fire. The attacks are not diminishing, they are continuing. Every opportunity that there can be for an attack seems to be seized by those who are rejectionists of any different future. And I worry about the chance for peace when the next generation is learning that fighting Israel is a glorious, religious battle for Islam, as this report points out.

So it is now my privilege to introduce Itamar Marcus, Director of Palestinian Media Watch, who will present the deeply disturbing findings of this report and speak to the importance of action.

Click here to see video of Clinton's remarks followed
by Itamar Marcus's overview of report

Itamar Marcus's overview of
PMW's report on Palestinian schoolbooks
US Senate Building, February 8th, 2007

Thank you very much, Senator Clinton.

I want to review in greater detail some of the main points that Senator Clinton touched on about the content of the new Palestinian schoolbooks.

The new Grade 12 Palestinian schoolbooks were produced last year, and were released in November 2006. Significantly, the books were produced by the Palestinian Curriculum Development Center, a center established under the Fatah governments of Yasser Arafat and Mahmoud Abbas.

The head of the committee is Dr. Naim Abu Al-Humos, former PA minister of higher education. As such, this schoolbook report is not reflecting Hamas ideology, this is reflecting the Fatah ideology. This is very significant, because the new schoolbooks indicate a merging of Fatah towards Hamas ideology.

I want to touch on five themes:

1. In the new schoolbooks, the Palestinians define the battle with Israel as a religious battle – a Ribat, as follows:

Ribat for Allah: Islam urged (Hadda'ala) Jihad for Allah, in order to defend the [Islamic] Nation's honor, greatness, and land. The Ribat for Allah is one of the actions related to Jihad for Allah, and it means: Being found in areas where there is a struggle between Muslims and their enemies... staying on this land strengthens the Muslims facing their enemies… The reward of the Murabit [people in Ribat] is ongoing, as Allah, praise him, increases the [reward] for his action until the Resurrection Day…”
[Islamic Education, grade 12, p. 86]

Ribat is a religious term. This teaching transfers the conflict from a territorial, nationalistic conflict to a religious conflict where there is no room for compromise. More than that, they teach:

"The endurance of Palestine's people on their land in these days, and their persistence against the damage and the aggression they endure – is one of the greatest of the Ribat and they are worthy of a great reward from Allah.”
[Islamic Education, grade 12, p. 87]

This conflict with Israel is said to be a unique Ribat in Islamic history with a special destiny:

“The reason for this preference [of the Palestinian Ribat] is that the momentous battles in Islamic history took place on its land [Al-Shaam – Greater Syria includes Israel] and, its residents are in a constant struggle with their enemies, and they are found in Ribat until Resurrection Day. The history testifies that: The battle of Al-Yarmuk decided the struggle with the Byzantines, and the battle of Hittin decided the struggle with the Crusaders, and the battle of Ein Jalut decided the struggle with the Mongols”.
[Islamic Education, grade 12, p. 87]

The message to the student is that Islam has had numerous battles, momentous battles with significant turning points in Islamic history following the victorious battles on this land against earlier enemies – Byzantine, Crusades, the Mongols.

The Palestinian children are taught that they have an Islamic destiny to hold onto this land – (meaning Israel) as others have done in the past.

This teaching parallels the ideology of Hamas as written in the Hamas charter:

"The Islamic Resistance Movement believes that the land of Palestine has been an Islamic Waqf (Trust) throughout the generations and until the Day of Resurrection, no one can renounce it or part of it, or abandon it or part of it."
[Article Eleven, Hamas Charter]

The schoolbooks bring mainstream Palestinian ideology much closer to that of Hamas, by defining this as a religious battle and Israel's land to be Islamic land.

2. In the schoolbooks it is clear that when they teach about "Palestine", they are not teaching about the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The books mention over and over again that Israel’s very existence is being challenged. For example, as the Senator cited:

"Palestine’s war ended with a catastrophe that is unprecedented in history, when the Zionist gangs stole Palestine …and established the State of Israel."
[Arabic Language, Analysis, Literature and Criticism, grade 12, p. 104]

The establishment of Israel is the challenge, not the West Bank or Gaza, this is the problem. Israel is defined as "colonial imperialism… centered in Palestine", [History of the Arabs and the World in the 20th Century, grade 12, p. 6] and other similar language that denies Israel's right to exist.

They talk about the United Nations resolutions equating Zionism with racism, and teach:

"These racist operations that Israel carried out since its establishment in 1948, motivated the UN to pass the resolution …which views Zionism as a form of racism…"
[History of the Arabs and the World in the 20th Century, grade 12, pp. 125-126]

They are legitimizing the UN resolution teaching that it was based on the factual reality of Israel as a racist state since 1948.

Other examples of terminology that rejects the legitimacy of Israel:

Israel and Israelis are referred to as "Zionist gangs", "Zionist enemy", "Zionist entity", "enemy of the people", and many more terms throughout the schoolbooks that deny the legitimacy of Israel.

3. Beyond denying the legitimacy of Israel, the books present a world as if Israel does not exist at all.

Examples from maps were shown- see graphics.

No map mentions Israel in any of the Palestinian Authority schoolbooks.
However, beyond the pictures, the new schoolbooks define "Palestine" as if it’s an existing state, a "Dawla", which is not a geographical area but a "state", and teach that it has water access to the Red Sea and the Mediterranean. Teaching that a state, "Palestine", has access to the Red Sea is describing a world in which Israel does not exist.

They also teach that the state "Palestine" is larger than 10,000 square kilometers. The size of the West Bank and Gaza together is about 6,500 square kilometers, so again are describing a world in which Israel does not exist.

4. Holocaust denial, which the Senator mentioned: The books create a World War Two without the Holocaust. There are extensive details about the history of World War Two -- they teach about the "race theory" of the Nazi movement:

“Race theory evolved during the thirties of the previous century, when the Nazi movement appeared in Germany in 1933 and divided the nations into superior and others who were inferior. It espoused the superiority of the Aryan race, from which the Germans originated, passed racist laws…"
[The History of the Arabs and the World in the 20th Century, grade 12, p. 123]

They even talk about the trials of the Nazi war criminals at the end of the war:

“The Allied states established an international court to bring to trial the senior Nazi leaders as war criminals.”
[The History of the Arabs and the World in the 20th Century, grade 12, p. 46]

...but they don’t teach why they were on trial. They teach the history of WW2, the Nazi racism, and the trial of war criminals. But the Holocaust is not a part of that history.

5. Finally, the new PA schoolbooks divide the modern world into two camps fighting in a "Clash of Civilizations": the West, led by the United States, and the Islamic-Arab world. The US is presented very aggressively in the schoolbooks as an enemy of the Palestinians, and American foreign policy is criticized as being of:

"self-interest... its policy… didn’t change during one president or another, as is clearly apparent in Afghanistan, Cuba, Iran… its blockade of Libya, Sudan and the occupation of Iraq."
[Contemporary Problems, grade 12, p 21]

All of these conflicts present the US as a source of friction in the international world.

Human rights. They talk about the US abusing human rights for its own purposes; for example, "the belief that human rights is nothing but an excuse used by the West and the ruling states for interfering in the matters of other states, as in Afghanistan, Iraq, Darfur…" and more examples, so that the US is presented as an enemy of Islam and the Arab world.

The apex of this is the definition of the insurgency in Iraq fighting against the US:

“The Iraqis did not surrender to this American and British occupation, but succeeded in organizing themselves into a brave resistance to liberate Iraq.”
[History of the Arabs and the World in the 20th Century, grade 12, p. 147]

Those who are killing American soldiers are defined as “brave resistance.”

In addition, there is one glaring omission about the US in the schoolbooks. The Palestinians felt it important to mention that Israel is getting economic aid from the US, but they left out the more than $1.5 billion that the PA and the NGOs have received from the US. The greatest financial aid to the PA from any single country has come from the US. The books leave that out, but they put in the fact that Israel is a strategic ally getting economic and political support.

So we see from this omission as well, that there was a clear intention to put the US in an enemy camp.

Because of this total picture, violence against Israel since its founding is legitimized as Mukawama – meaning resistance.

“Since 1948, the Mukawama – resistance - in which the inhabitants carried acts of most glorious heroism and sacrifice, which have become lessons imitated by resistance to colonialism, occupation and persecution around the world.”
[Arabic Language, Analysis, Literature and Commentary, grade 12 p 105]

Essentially, they are teaching the children that Palestinian terror isn’t negative -- it is glorious heroism. And all the other "resistance" nations around the world who have adopted this are learning from the Palestinians. They are actually citing themselves and their terror as a role model and they’re proud that they have been a role model for other terrorist movements around the world.

And finally, the message: “Palestine will be liberated by its men, its women, its young and its elderly,” the eventual destruction of Israel is promised in the textbooks.

-------------

PMW studies everything in Palestinian society. Sports, crossword puzzles, television, as the Senator mentioned. And all of these (schoolbook) messages are coming to children from every part of society – culture, even sports. And I want to just show you two examples.

We mentioned the Holocaust. I want to show you how children were taught the Holocaust on a program on official Palestinian television:

Video:

"They [the Jews] are the ones who did the Holocaust ... They opened the ovens for us to bake human beings... And when one oven stopped burning they lit a hundred more ovens. There hands are covered with the blood of our children."
[official PA TV Mar. 25 2004]

This isn’t just Holocaust denial. This is turning the whole Holocaust on its head. Israel, the Jews, created ovens for the Palestinians. And this was on official Palestinian television, on a children’s program.

I’ll just end this with one item from yesterday, to show you how current this is. This is from February 7th, an interview on Palestinian television with a university lecturer from Birzheit University.

"What the American culture creates is a danger to humanity… 100,000 [Iraqis] are killed in Iraq, and it doesn’t interest him... he lives the racism in his culture, he is saturated in it, only his pocket interests him…
Zionism is the same thing, carries the same thought [pattern]. Nazism carried that same thought. This is the Western product, it is the product of Western philosophy."
[PA TV, February 7, 2007]

This is a total attack on Western society, and is a reflection of the tragic reality of the Palestinian media. It is constantly demonizing the West, demonizing the United States, demonizing Israel, with parallels like this to Nazism, and it creates an environment of profound hatred for the youth.

To sum up, there are many problems in the Palestinian schoolbooks. I think that the problem of packaging the conflict as a religious conflict is very significant – and it marks the disappearance of the difference between Hamas and what is seen as the more mainstream Fatah. That difference disappears when this conflict is portrayed as a religious conflict for Allah. The well-meaning student is left with no justification or religious option to accept Israel as a neighbor in coexistence.

The schoolbooks, the TV, the culture, the entire society, must educate for peace. Our desire is to have peace with our Palestinian neighbors, and our goal is that through awareness and actions like the Senator’s, a change will be forced on the Palestinians to educate for peace, so that we can have peace in the next generation. Thank you.

Nearly 90% of Palestinian youth
deny Israel's right to exist
by Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook- Feb. 28, 2007

Map in new schoolbook - Israel is “Palestine” [Geography grade 12, p. 143]

A recent poll of Palestinians shows a direct correlation between the PA curriculum and Palestinian youth's opinions. PMW's newest report on Palestinian Authority schoolbooks warns that because of the PA curriculum, which repeatedly and utterly rejects Israel's right to exist, "The well-meaning (Palestinian) student is left with no logical justification or religious option to accept Israel as a neighbor ..."
[See full Executive Summary below and Chapters 1-4 of report.]

At a Washington news conference to release the new report, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton likewise concluded that these PA schoolbooks are "...deeply disturbing, particularly for the denial of Israel's existence..."

The results that PMW and Sen. Clinton have warned about can be seen in a new poll released by Near East Consulting, a Palestinian research institute, which asked Palestinians, "Does Israel have the right to exist?"

Among young people ages 18 -25, those who have been most influenced by PA education, an overwhelming number - between 84% - 93% -- denied Israel's right to exist. [http://www.neareastconsulting.com/] This was higher than the overall figure of 75% who denied Israel's right to exist. It should be noted that PA teachings denying Israel's right to exist are endemic throughout PA society and media, including among Fatah leaders, which would account for the high levels of denial of Israel's legitimacy throughout PA society.

Click here to see video of Hillary Clinton's remarks at press conference
releasing PMW report in the US Senate Building

Click here to see the full PMW report on schoolbooks in WORD doc.

Click to see the full PMW report on schoolbooks in PDF for easing printing.

The following is the Executive Summary of the PMW schoolbook report:

From nationalist battle to religious conflict:
New 12th Grade Palestinian schoolbooks present a world without Israel

February 2007

Written by
Itamar Marcus, Director, Palestinian Media Watch
Barbara Crook, Associate Director, Palestinian Media Watch
With PMW research staff

"The Ribat for Allah is one of the actions related to Jihad for Allah, it means: Being found in areas where there is a struggle between Muslims and their enemies... the endurance of Palestine’s people on their land … is one of the greatest of the Ribat and they are worthy of a great reward from Allah."[Islamic Education, grade 12, pp. 86-87]

Table of Contents:

Executive Summary
Background
Findings

The Report
1. Fighting Israel until liberation - is religious battle of Islam
2. The "state" of "Palestine" exists in a world without Israel
3. A visual world without Israel: on all maps "Palestine" exists, Israel does not
4. Rejection of Israel's right to exist: Israel's founding was "a catastrophe that is unprecedented in history"
5. Holocaust Denial: World War II without a Holocaust
6. Palestinians depicted as victims of the racist "Zionist Enemy"
7. Terminology of disdain and demonization in schoolbooks
8. Jihad and Shahada – Martyrdom for Allah
9. USA - enemy of Palestinians, leader of "Clash of Civilizations"
10. Minimizing the Peace Processes between Israel and its neighbors
Appendix 1: About the books - Palestinian Curriculum Development Center (PCDC)
Appendix 2: Names of Palestinian Schools
Conclusion

Executive Summary
Background
At the end of 2006, the Palestinian Authority (PA) Ministry of Higher Education introduced new 12th grade schoolbooks, written by the Center for Developing the Palestinian Curricula. The center is comprised of Palestinian educators appointed by the Fatah governments of Yasser Arafat and Mahmoud Abbas, and directed by Dr. Naim Abu Al-Humos, former PA Minister of Higher Education, appointed in 2002. The center is backed by foreign funding, with special thanks to Belgium noted in the new schoolbooks. Before the year 2000, the schoolbooks used in the Palestinian Authority were primarily Jordanian and Egyptian books, republished by the PA. Between 2000 and 2005, responding to widespread international criticism of the old textbooks, the PA Ministry of Education issued new textbooks for Grades 1 through 11. This report by Palestinian Media Watch reviews the following new schoolbooks for Grade 12, recently introduced into PA schools:
• Physical Geography and Human Geography
• History of the Arabs and the World in the 20th Century
• Contemporary Problems
• Islamic Education
• Arabic Language, Analysis, Literature and Criticism
• Arabic Language and the Science of Language
• Mathematics
• Scientific Culture

Findings
PMW has found that the new 12th grade Palestinian schoolbooks make no attempt to educate for peace and coexistence with Israel. Indeed, the opposite is true: The teachings repeatedly reject Israel's right to exist, present the conflict as a religious battle for Islam, teach Israel’s founding as imperialism, and actively portray a picture of the Middle East, both verbally and visually, in which Israel does not exist at all.

The following description of Israel's founding represents the dominant dogma about Israel in Palestinian schoolbooks:

"Palestine’s war ended with a catastrophe that is unprecedented in history, when the Zionist gangs stole Palestine and expelled its people from their cities, their villages, their lands and their houses, and established the State of Israel." [Arabic Language, Analysis, Literature and Criticism, grade 12, p. 104]

Defining Israel's founding as a "catastrophe unprecedented in history," “a theft perpetrated by "Zionist gangs," together with numerous other hateful descriptions of Israel as "colonial imperialist" and "racist," compounded by the presentation of the conflict as a religious war, leaves no latitude for students to have positive or even neutral attitudes towards Israel. This negative imagery and religious packaging are compounded by hateful presentations of Israeli policy. The young students are imbued with a Palestinian identity as “victims” just by virtue of Israel's existence. The well-meaning student is left with no logical justification or religious option to accept Israel as a neighbor or to seek coexistence. Given the total rejection of Israel's right to exist, on nationalistic and religious grounds, Palestinian terror against Israel since Israel's founding in 1948 is defined as: "resistance … acts of most glorious heroism." [Arabic Language, Analysis, Literature and Commentary, grade 12 p 105]

Fighting Israel is a religious battle of Islam
But PA educators teach that fighting Israel is not merely a territorial conflict, but also a religious battle for Islam. The schoolbooks define the conflict with Israel as "Ribat for Allah" – "one of the actions related to Jihad for Allah, and it means: Being found in areas where there is a struggle between Muslims and their enemies." [Islamic Education, grade 12, p. 86]. Israel is thus stigmatized as existing on Islam's land, and fighting Israel is transformed from an Arab nationalistic goal into an uncompromising battle for God. Moreover, the youth are taught that their specific conflict with Israel - Ribat for "Palestine" - is "one of the greatest of the Ribat, and they [Palestinians] are worthy of a great reward from Allah". [Ibid, pp.86- 87].

The world without Israel - Israel does not exist at all
Beyond looking to the future, the educators have built a picture – both verbally and visually – of the present world, a world in which Israel does not exist. "Palestine" today is said to be a special "state" (Arabic – "Dawla" = state, not a geographical region) with water access to both the Mediterranean and the Red Seas, a situation possible only if Israel does not exist. [Physical Geography and Human Geography, grade 12, p. 105] Likewise the size of the "state" of "Palestine" is said to be more than 10,000 sq. km., which is the figure one gets only if Israel did not exist, as the full West Bank and Gaza Strip total only 6220 sq. km.
[Physical Geography and Human Geography, grade 12, p. 107]

Maps of the region likewise teach children to visualize a world without Israel, as Israel does not exist on any map and its area is marked as "Palestine."

Since all of Israel and all its cities are taught to be an "occupation" of "Palestine," and "Palestine" in all the school books replaces all of Israel, the following teaching can only mean that Israel's destruction is inevitable:

"Palestine will be liberated by its men, its women, its young ones and its elderly."
[Arabic Language and the Science of Language, grade 12, p. 44]

Terminology of Disdain
The terminology that the educators have chosen to use throughout the schoolbooks reinforces the message that youth should not accept Israel as a neighbor with a right to exist. The following terms all replace Israel, its founders, and status: “The Zionist enemy;" “The Zionist entity;” “The enemy of this people;” “The Zionist gangs;” “Zionist Imperialist plan.” Israel’s creation is “the occupation;” “stole Palestine;” “stole its land;” “in 1948, when the Jews occupied Palestine.” Palestinians are said to suffer from: “imperialist persecution, a life of exile, and the theft of freedom of thought and culture;” “massacre” and much more. (All sources appear in report.) With these as the educational messages, the next generation of Palestinian youth is actively being prevented from having any reasonable possibility of accepting Israel as a neighbor in reconciliation and peace.

The US and the West - a "Clash of Civilizations"
The current relationship with the West is described as a "Clash of Civilizations" between the West, led by the United States, and the Islamic-Arab world. [Contemporary Problems, grade 12, p. 92.] Islam promotes Human Rights [ibid, pp. 95-96], the US and the West, "the colonialist states, are taking advantage of it", "for interfering in the matters of other states, as is happening in Afghanistan, Iraq, Darfur…" [ibid, p. 101] America and Russia are guilty of "violations of international humanitarian law in Iraq and Afghanistan and …in Chechnya." [ibid, p. 108] Fighting against American and British soldiers in Iraq is called "brave resistance to liberate Iraq" against "occupation." [History of the Arabs and the World in the 20th Century, grade 12, p.147]

Conclusion
One of the most meaningful gauges of the ideology and aspirations of a people is the education of its youth. For this reason, the new Palestinian Authority schoolbooks, introduced in the end of 2006 by the Palestinian Authority (PA) Ministry of Higher Education apparatus, are a continuation of the tragic disappointment of the earlier books. Instead of seizing the opportunity to educate future generations to live with Israel in peace, the PA schoolbooks glorify terror and teach their children to hate Israel, vilify Israel's existence and define the battle with Israel as an uncompromising religious war. Instead of working to minimize the current hate, the new PA curriculum is ingraining it into the next generation’s consciousness, and packaging the war against Israel as existential, mandatory and religious. The new PA schoolbooks are guaranteeing that the next generation will grow up seeing Israel as an illegitimate enemy to be hated, fought, and destroyed, rather than as a neighbor to negotiate with and to ultimately live beside in peace.

Click here to see the full PMW report on schoolbooks in WORD doc.

Click to see the full PMW report on schoolbooks in PDF for easing printing.

Hate terminology in Arabic
sanitized in English translations
by Palestinian news service

by Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook, Feb 27, 2007

The Ma’an News Service publishes numerous daily announcements in Arabic, which it subsequently translates and releases in English. In recent stories, PMW has noted that the Ma'an releases in Arabic include the hate ideology espoused by the terror organizations that deny Israel's right to exist, express reverence for suicide terrorists and justify terrorist murder as "resistance." But when translated into English, the same stories go through a sterilization process to hide from the English readers – and possibly from the two Western countries, the Netherlands and Denmark, who give them funding – the terrorist ideology Ma'an is helping to propagate.

The following are two examples:

1 – On Jan. 29, 2007, a suicide terrorist killed three Israelis in the city of Eilat. The Ma'an Arabic report included the language of the terror organizations, while the English was cleansed with changes and omissions, including changes to the language of direct quotes. The differences are striking:

Denial of Israel's right to exist
In English Ma'an accurately reports that the event happened "in the southern Israeli resort of Eilat." But in the original Arabic, Eilat is changed from an Israeli city to a Palestinian city occupied by Israel – reflecting the terrorist assertion that all of Israel is “occupied Palestine.

Ma'an English: "…in the southern Israeli resort of Eilat."
Ma'an Arabic in first reference: "… in Eilat located in the south of occupied Palestine."
Ma'an Arabic in second reference: "…carried out a brave deed and for the first time in occupied Eilat.”

In the English the mother is referred to simply by her name and age: "Ruwaida Siksik, 42."
In Arabic Ma'an adds: " Ruwaida Siksik, 42, whose family originated from the occupied city of Jaffa."

The routine definition in a news story of Jaffa, a part of southern Tel Aviv, as "occupied" and Eilat as "occupied Palestine" is a way to linguistically express denial of Israel's right to exist, and is the terminology used by the terror organizations.

Glorifying suicide terror as Shahada – revered Martyrdom
The act of the suicide bombing is likewise reported differently in the English and the Arabic. The English refers to a "bombing," while the Arabic gives it an idyllic Islamic categorization of an "Amaliyyah Ishtish'hadyyah" - a Shahada-seeking action. This is not merely a positive categorization, but is defining the suicide bombing as an honored Islamic action. The perpetrator is given the status of a Ishtish'hadi- Shahada-seeker, who becomes after his death a Shahid – a revered holy Martyr.

In Arabic:
"She heard the news on Monday morning that he died as a Shahid …
In English:
"Family of Eilat bomber"
In Arabic:
"mother of the Shahada-seeker"

Another interesting difference is that in the Arabic, the brother of the bomber admits to knowing that his brother was leaving on a terror operation. This is omitted from the English version.

2- The second article demonstrating the terror support by Ma'an is its release yesterday about the murder of Erez Levanon, a 42-year-old Israeli musician and father of three children, who was attacked and stabbed to death by two Palestinians while praying in a field.

The Ma'an English:
"Palestinian sources told Ma'an that armed Palestinian men ambushed an Israeli …"

The Ma'an Arabic:
"Palestinian sources told Ma'an that Palestinian resistance men ambushed an Israeli …"

This is not just semantics. In choosing to categorize murder as "resistance," Ma'an is choosing the language used by terror organizations to justify murder.

The following is the chart of the changes in the translation of the suicide bombing story, followed by the visuals of yesterday's story.

Ma’an in English Family of Eilat bomber speak to Ma'an..	Ma’an in Arabic [PMW translation to English] Mother of the Shahada-seeker [Martrydom Seeker - Islamic term of honor for suicide bomber] and his wife speak …
She heard the news on Monday morning that he had blown himself up	She heard the news on Monday morning that he died as a shahid [Islamic term for revered Martyr]
in an unprecedented operation in the southern Israeli resort of Eilat…	in an unprecedented operation in Eilat located in the south of occupied Palestine…
Did his mother, Ruwaida Siksik, 42,	Did his mother, Ruwaida Siksik, 42, whose family originated from the occupied city of Jaffa,
know about her fourth son's intention to operate in Israel?	know about her fourth son's intention to carry out a Shahada – Seeking operation in Israel?
She said: "I knew he wished for Shahada …”	She said: "I knew he wished for Shahada -Seeking and for Shahada…"
On Monday 29th January, the son's identity was reported as being the bomber of Eilat.	On Monday, was reported the death as a Shahid of (her) son, and
The mother prayed that it may send a message to the fighting brothers in Hamas and Fatah, to stop and direct their weapons against the Israeli occupation.	the mother prayed that Allah will receive her son as a Shahid…
She added that she is ready to sacrifice all of her nine sons and daughters for Palestine and Al-Aqsa mosque…	She added that she is ready to sacrifice all of her nine sons and daughters for Palestine and Al-Aqsa mosque, and that she will not be stingy with them…
Muhammad's brother, Na'im, 26, said:     "What my brother has done is dignifying for all of us…”	Muhammad's brother, Na'im, 26, said: "I knew he was leaving and I wished him that he would achieve Shahada as he wants. When I heard the news about his Shahada-seeking, I prayed for him, that Allah will receive him. What my brother has done is dignifying for all of us…”
Nadia Siksik, wife of the deceased bomber, expressed pride over her husband's operation. She said: “… after what he has done for Palestine, I am proud…"	Nadia Siksik, wife of the Shahada-seeker expressed pride over her husband's operation. She said: “… after I was informed of his death as a Shahid today, I am proud…"
The bomber's little sister, Dalia, 13, burst into tears while she expressed her pride over her brother, "who refused to be a victim of the clash of brothers."	His youngest sister, Dalia, 13, burst into tears while she said: I am proud of my brother Muhammad, "for he died a death of honor and refused to be a victim of the bullets of brothers. He chose Shahada among his enemies and carried out a brave deed and for the first time in occupied Eilat."

2-

Ma'an Arabic "Palestinian resistance men"
Ma'an English: "armed Palestinian men"

The Jerusalem Post Op-Ed:

Palestinian hate education
and its Jewish advocates
(JPost title: "Supporting peace education in the PA?")

by Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook - Feb. 25, 2007

Anyone who hopes for peace should be horrified by the content of the latest set of Palestinian schoolbooks. In many respects, these new books for Grade 12, written by Fatah-appointed Palestinian educators, are the worst of the textbooks produced by the Palestinian Authority since 2000. These newest books deny Israel's right to exist, anticipate its destruction and define the conflict with Israel as religious, not merely territorial.

As is documented in the new report by Palestinian Media Watch entitled "From Nationalist Battle to Religious Conflict," the ideological divide between Fatah and Hamas appears to be disappearing. Hamas has always defined its war with Israel as religious and existential, and now that is what all Palestinian children will learn in school:

"Ribat for Allah is one of the actions related to jihad for Allah, and it means: Being found in areas where there is a struggle between Muslims and their enemies. The endurance of Palestine's people on their land these days... is one of the greatest of the Ribat." (Islamic Education, grade 12, p. 86-87)

(Click to see the PMW report in PDF or in WORD)

THE PALESTINIAN conflict with Israel is a unique and eternal Ribat with a special Islamic destiny:

"The reason for this preference [of the Palestinian Ribat] is that the momentous battles in Islamic history took place on its land."

As to when there will be peace with Israel? Never, according to the schoolbooks:

"[Palestine's] residents are in a constant struggle with their enemies, and they are found in Ribat until Resurrection Day."

Israel's right to exist is denied and Israel's founding is called a theft:

"Palestine's war ended with a catastrophe that is unprecedented in history, when the Zionist gangs stole Palestine and expelled its people from their cities, their villages, their lands and their houses, and established the State of Israel" (Arabic Language, Analysis, Literature and Criticism, grade 12, p. 104). Israel is called: "the Zionist entity," and "Zionist Enemy." Israel's existence since 1948 is an "occupation" (ibid pp. 104, 122).

The conflict will eventually end - not with peace, but with Israel's destruction, effected by Palestinians of all ages and abilities:

"Palestine will be liberated by its men, its women, its young and its elderly" (Arabic Language and the Science of Language, grade 12, p. 44).

THE BOOKS anticipate this future destruction of Israel by painting a picture for the Palestinian child of a world in which Israel already does not exist. The place of Israel is marked as "Palestine" on all maps, and "Palestine" is defined as a dawla - the Arabic word for "state," not a geographical region. This "state" is said to have water access to both the Mediterranean and the Red seas, a situation possible only in a world without Israel. (Physical Geography and Human Geography, grade 12, p. 105) Likewise, the size of "Palestine," the "state," is said to be more than 10,000 sq. km., a situation possible only if Israel does not exist, since the West Bank and Gaza Strip together total only 6,220 sq. km.

Because Israel has no right to exist, and must be fought and destroyed for Islam, violence and terror against Israel since its founding are justified and glorified as muqawama, resistance: "The tragedy of Palestine of 1948 and afterward the muqawama in which the inhabitants carried acts of most glorious heroism and sacrifice" (Arabic Language, Analysis, Literature and Commentary, grade 12 p. 105).

THE WORLD cringed in horror at the Iranian Holocaust denial conference. But the new PA schoolbooks teach World War II without the Holocaust. There are extensive details about the history of the war, lessons about the Nazi "race theory" and even mention of "an international court to bring to trial the senior Nazi leaders as war criminals." (The History of the Arabs and the World in the 20th Century, grade 12, p. 46). However, the books fail to mention why the Nazis were on trial, or that their "race theory" involved elimination of Jews and other minorities.

It is clear that the newest PA schoolbooks are a tragic recipe for incessant war. Israel is presented as an illegitimate enemy to be hated, fought and destroyed. Even the most well-meaning student is left with no justification or religious option to accept Israel as a neighbor to live beside in peace.

THEREFORE, anyone who is truly interested in peace and peace education should be appalled by these new books, repudiate this hate material and demand that the books be discontinued and rewritten. US Senator Hillary Clinton said earlier this month that this curriculum, together with PA media targeting children, "basically, profoundly poisons the mind of these children" and that these books are "an indoctrination," not an education.

But an American Jewish group, Brit Tzedek v'Shalom-Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace has rushed to defend these hate-filled schoolbooks. As reported by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, the group wrote Clinton urging her to "re-examine claims that the Palestinian schoolbooks indoctrinate hate." The group argued that the books encourage "a peaceful resolution of the conflict," and are better than those used in most of the Arab world because they "endorse democracy."

This superficial defense of PA books, compared to the fully-documented, 35-page PMW report, with its line-by-line descriptions of hate education, leaves us with the strong impression that no one from the group has actually read either the schoolbooks or our report. If so, the group's eagerness to defend these new texts is irresponsible.

We just find it hard to believe that Brit Tzedek v'Shalom has actually studied these grade 12 textbooks and has chosen to defend an educational curriculum that denies Israel's right to exist, justifies terror and promises an eternal religious battle for Israel's destruction, knowingly defending incitement to murder.

TRAGICALLY, the Palestinian Authority will exploit this Jewish group's ill-considered approval of its new texts. Can Brit Tzedek v'Shalom be so blindly determined to champion the Palestinian cause that it will defend even the indefensible? Groups such as Brit Tzedek v'Shalom who have defended PA schoolbook education in the past, created sufficient uncertainty about PA hate-education to ease international pressure on Palestinian leaders to pursue peace education.

Our challenge to Brit Tzedek v'Shalom: If you are as dedicated to peace as we are, you have a moral obligation to publicly retract your defense of the new PA produced textbooks and demand instead that the authority pursue peace education. Otherwise, you will bear moral responsibility as defenders of hatred for the inevitable tragic results of this Palestinian hate education.

US-funded Palestinian university holds
anti-American symposium

by Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook- Feb. 15, 2007

Al-Najah University in Nablus, which receives funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), held a symposium for its law students, faculty and administration this week, condemning the trial of Saddam Hussein and the American role in the trial. The trial was vilified as “illegal and vindictive” because “it took place during the period of the illegal American occupation of Iraq.”

The $4 million dollars in USAID funding that Al-Najah has received since 2004 is for a current project at the university’s faculty of law "for strengthening the rule of law.”

It should be noted that even before this latest anti-American activity at the law faculty, the last two years of funding of Al-Najah University have been in violation of American law. Al-Najah hosts branches of the terror organizations Hamas and Islamic Jihad on campus, and US law since 2005 has prohibited funding any "educational institution that the Secretary knows or has reason to believe advocates, plans, sponsors, engages in, or has engaged in, terrorist activity...” (Foreign Operations Bill 2006 (SEC. 559.b-c)

By sponsoring branches of terrorist organizations, Al-Najah has been ineligible to receive US funding.

The following are the full articles related to Al-Najah university:

Current Article:

"The public relations department in the Al-Najah University in Nablus organized yesterday a symposium named 'The trial of the Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein, and the American role in this trial – a witness testimony from the courthouse.' The head of the university’s public relations department, Dr. Nabil Alawi and the American lawyer, Curtis Dobler, participated in the symposium that Al-Najah University organized… with the presence of students from the law faculty and members of the teaching staff and the administrative staff of the university.

Dobler… focused on two central points in the trial, which are: The trial’s illegality, which took place under the American occupation of Iraq in order to convict Saddam and his assistants, and the vindictive results the trial reached. He emphasized that the trial of President Saddam Hussein is illegal and vindictive.

He further said: “Saddam Hussein’s defense team gave to the courthouse, on November 20, 2006, a memorandum of 300 pages which confirms the illegality of this trial, since it took place during the period of the illegal American occupation of Iraq”…

The American lawyer explained: “Saddam did for the Iraqis a kind of justice and encouraged them to fight against the American occupation of their country, in his death.
[Al-Ayyam, February 12, 2007]

From PMW Archives on USAID Funding:

"The “Arkan” program, funded by the US, and the faculty of law in the Al-Najah University signed a memorandum of understanding yesterday… which, in its framework, there will be a co-operation between the two sides in order to develop the law education in the university…

The “Arkan” program includes two central focal points: the first being the development of law education in the Palestinian faculties of law… in the Al-Quds, Bir Zayt, Al-Najah and Al-Azhar universities…

The “Arkan” program for strengthening the rule of law stretches over a three-year period. Its operation began in September 2004. The program is carried out by the international company “Kimonex”… entirely funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), a total of four million dollars."
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, March 22, 2005]

Abbas sends warmest greetings to Iran's Ahmadinejad,
wishes Iran "further progress and prosperity"

by Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook - Feb. 14, 2007

At a time when Iran is being isolated by most of the world for its nuclear program and its calls for the destruction of Israel, Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas has sent a telegram of effusive greetings to Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for Iran's national holiday.

According to the PA daily Al-Hayat Al Jadida, Abbas's greeting earlier this week also wished for "further progress and prosperity" for Iran.

The following is the paper's account of the message:

"The president said in the greeting: 'I am happy to express to your excellency and, through you, to your honorable government and to your brother people, on behalf of the Palestinian people and their leadership and on my behalf personally, the warmest, most heartfelt wishes, in a prayer to Allah, that He shall bestow on you on this holiday further progress and prosperity. We wish you and your people happy holidays.' President Abbas expressed the greatest wishes of wealth, health and joy to the President of Iran, and to his people and his sister country, continuous respect, glory and well-being."
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, February 12, 2007]

Jews are “evil souls” in new PA TV video clip

"The [Jews are] evil souls,
a thousand evil ones [Jews] are in my home!”

by Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook- Feb. 14, 2007

The lyrics in a new video clip broadcast on official Palestinian Authority Television refer to Jews as "evil souls, a thousand evil ones. . . in my home." The lyrics are sung to images of a religious Jew walking in Jerusalem and Jews praying at the Western Wall of the Temple.

This overtly anti-Semitic message not only defines Jews as “evil souls,” but likewise tells Palestinians to see Jews as outsiders in Jerusalem. Even Jews at the Western Wall are portrayed as intruders.

Click here to view the clip

The following is an excerpt from the song:

“I am Palestinian, and my home is my home.
The evil souls [Visual: Jew walking in Jerusalem],
A thousand evil ones are in my home!” [Visual: Jew walking in Jerusalem]
But I am Palestinian and my home is my home,
The evil souls [Visual: Jews praying at Western Wall],
A thousand evil ones are in my home!” [Visual: Jews praying at Western Wall]
[PA TV, February 13, 2007]

The rest of the video, named “Palestinian Unity,” features a teenage boy singing about Palestinian unity, over background images of dead bodies, funerals and military parades of the rival Palestinian terror groups, including Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Fatah, the Popular Front and the Democratic Front. The background images also include scenes of violence against Israel, including Israeli tanks and jeeps being hit by stones and Molotov cocktails.

The lyrics include:

“We are all Palestinians in blood and identity, Fatah, Hamas, and the Jihad, the Popular [Front] and the Democratic [Front]…
We want to liberate the land through the national unity..."

The words, "We are a sword which is not drawn, except towards the occupier,” are sung to the images of a gun firing, followed by that of falling Israeli soldier.

Hamas:
We will not recognize Israel or stop violence

by Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook - Feb. 12, 2007

A Hamas spokesman has reiterated that the new Hamas-led coalition government will neither recognize Israel nor stop terror. According to Hamas spokesman Mushir Al-Masri, Hamas interprets the Mecca agreement to mean that the Arab and Islamic worlds have accepted them as they are, and that "international legitimization" will follow.

The following are excerpts from the article:

Hamas movement spokesman, Mushir Al-Masri, said: “Hamas remains as it is: following its principles. It did not retreat, but advanced forward.” He confirmed that it will not recognize Israel, will not abandon the resistance [i.e. terror] and will not discard its principles.” He further said: “The Hamas [that existed] prior to the government, is Hamas of the government. Hamas prior to the unity [government] is Hamas after the unity.”

This was said during a rally organized yesterday by the Islamic University student council, as part of a series of activities of identification with the university. Thousands of university students and a group of representatives from the Legislative Council and ministers participated in the rally…Al-Masri added: “Hamas received national legitimization through the gathering of masses around it and around the option of resistance [i.e., terror] and received legislative legitimization through its victory in the Legislative Council elections. It now received Arab and Islamic legitimization and will receive international legitimization.” [Al-Ayyam, February 12, 2007]

New PA schoolbooks give children
"an indoctrination," not an education, Hillary Clinton says at release of new PMW report

New Palestinian schoolbooks present a world without Israel, turn territorial dispute into religious conflict, and
reflect an anti-western bias

Washington, DC - The new Palestinian Authority (PA) textbooks for Grade 12 encourage students to see Israel, the US and the West as enemies, and portray the PA's territorial disputes with Israel as an existential religious conflict for Islam, according to a report released today by Palestinian Media Watch and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.

The report, "From Nationalist Battle to Religious Conflict: New 12th Grade Palestinian Textbooks Present a World Without Israel," was written by PMW director Itamar Marcus and associate director Barbara Crook, and analyzes eight textbooks released at the end of 2006.

According to the report, the new books create for students an image, both textual and visual, of a world without Israel. They reject Israel's right to exist, while describing its founding as a "catastrophe that is unprecedented in history." According to the report, the books encourage students to see themselves as victims of Israel's existence, and actively prevent these young people from seeing Israel as a neighbor to live beside in peace. The history books barely acknowledge the peace process. This is compounded by the presentation of the conflict as a religious conflict to defend Islamic land, and leaves no latitude or religious option for students to have positive -- or even neutral -- attitudes towards Israel.

The textbooks likewise portray the US and the West in negative terms, describing the relationship as a "clash of civilizations." The books teach that the US is a human rights abuser and a violator of international humanitarian law. The texts assert that the US is an economic supporter of Israel, while completely ignoring the US aid to the PA and to Palestinian humanitarian projects.

"I believe that education is one of the keys to lasting peace in the Middle East and for this reason I am very concerned with these findings. Ever since we first raised this issue some years ago there still has not been an adequate repudiation of incitement by the Palestinian Authority. It is even more disturbing that the problem appears to have gotten worse. These textbooks don't give Palestinian children an education, they give them an indoctrination," Senator Clinton said.

"Teaching Palestinian children that the conflict is religious and not territorial will leave no possibility for compromise and could guarantee another generation of conflict," said Marcus.

The Grade 12 texts analyzed in the PMW report are the most recent books to be written by the Palestinian Curriculum Development Center. The director of the curriculum committee, Dr. Naim Abu Al-Humos, is a long-time member of the Fatah party and was appointed PA Minister of Higher Education in 2002, under Yasser Arafat, and continued after PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas's election.

"It's very significant and disturbing that these new books contain ideology that has been associated mainly with Hamas - especially the unequivocal denial of Israel's right to exist and the portrayal of the conflict with Israel as a religious struggle, not a territorial dispute," says co-author Crook. "But this ideology is being prepared for Palestinian youth by veteran Fatah educators, not by Hamas."

Click to see the report in PDF or in WORD

For more information or copies of the report contact:

Itamar Marcus (PMW) 646-641-0905
Barbara Crook (PMW) 613-220-4570

***MEDIA ADVISORY- Feb. 7, 2007***

SENATOR CLINTON TO JOIN WITH PALESTINIAN MEDIA WATCH TO RELEASE NEW REPORT ON CONTINUING
ANTI-ISRAEL BIAS IN PALESTINIAN TEXTBOOKS

Washington, DC - On Thursday, February 8, 2007, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton will join with Palestinian Media Watch Director Itamar Marcus and Associate Director Barbara Crook, to release a new report detailing the continuing anti-Israel bias in school textbooks produced by the Palestinian Authority.

The report; “From Nationalist Battle to Religious Conflict: New 12th Grade Palestinian Textbooks Present a World Without Israel”, was written by PMW Director Itamar Marcus and Associate Director Barbara Crook, and analyzes eight textbooks released at the end of 2006.

WHEN: Thursday, February 8, 2007 11:15 am

WHERE: Veterans Affairs Committee Room (SR-418)
Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC

CONTACT:

Itamar Marcus (Palestinian Media Watch)
646-641-0905

PA TV Movie:
Israeli soldiers murder
bound Egyptian prisoners

by Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook- Jan. 29, 2007

Palestinian Authority (PA) TV broadcast yesterday an Egyptian movie with staged scenes of Israeli soldiers shooting and murdering dozens of bound Egyptian prisoners

PA TV has broadcast many programs and videos that promote hatred of Israel through libelous accusations and depictions of Israelis as cold-blooded murderers.

To see this video click here.

To see other examples from PMW's archives click here

Bulletin Archives