Children in the Palestinian Authority too began their school year on Sept. 1, only instead of the promised education reforms, their schools continue to use the same books that have been heavily criticized for inciting hatred against Jews and Israel.
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On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Munich Olympic massacre, Israel Hayom and the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-se) – an NGO that that analyzes schoolbooks and curricula for compliance with UNESCO-defined standards on peace and tolerance – conducted an analysis of Palestinian school curriculum.
It revealed that history books in PA and UNRWA schools laud and legitimize the tragedy, in which Palestinian terrorists murdered 11 Israeli athletes, describing it as "resistance" to Zionism, and "Zionist interests abroad."
It also showed that textbooks on World War II omit the Holocaust entirely. They cover the main events in detail, such as the German invasion of Poland, the Battle of Britain, the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but not a word about the Wannsee Conference, concentration camps, or any other events related to the Holocaust.
Surprisingly, the German government is the main funder of the Palestinian education system, including textbooks. The PA Education Ministry's budget for the implementation of their plan comes from Germany, as well as Norway, Finland, and Ireland.
After international criticism, the PA and European authorities made changes to all textbooks for grades 1-12, but IMPACT-se officials say the content became more radicalized, "with hundreds of extreme examples that were introduced systematically that encourage harming civilians, jihad, violence, and incitement against Israel and Jews, in all classes and on all subjects."
"Moreover, the new books deliberately omit all the previous attempts for peace with Israel since the Oslo Accords. Antisemitic messages were also found in the books," they said.
Palestinian children are taught to believe that Judaism is a racist religion and that Jews control the media, politics, and finances. Jews are depicted as liars, corrupt, and "enemies of Islam at all times and places," and as such should be eliminated.
"Despite the European Union's repeated criticism of the Palestinian Authority, it did not make substantial changes to the textbooks for the 2022-2023 school year," CEO of IMPACT-se Marcus Sheff said. PA President Mahmoud and Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh "must be made aware that there is a price for this – from hearings in the Council of the European Union to condemnation from the European Commission responsible for their funding and the European Parliament."
The German Embassy in Ramallah confirmed in a statement that the country "does support Palestinian education, but does not finance the development or printing of the textbooks.
"We are in constant dialogue with the Palestinian side for further improvements in the education sector and the materials used in it," the statement said.
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