Comments on: Palestinian textbook case closed, but more trumped-up Israeli charges expected

By: directrob

directrob — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 15:30:39 +0000

The problem the Palestinian books have is that history has been unkind to Palestinians. A neutral description of history at some points will always have to be negative about Israel. The same passge in an Israeli book would be called self criical.

Like:
“After the 1967 war, the Israeli Military Authority assumed control over the Palestinian education system. [ ... ] . School development and teacher training were very limited, and textbooks became outdated.”

By: zjb

zjb — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 22:08:22 +0000

The report is actually more complicated. I heard today the authors of the study today (Friday) on The Brian Lehrer Show at WNYC (New York City’s NPR). The authors shot down the claim that Palestinian textbooks call explicitly for violence. But the did claim that the Palestinian textbooks do not teach the narrative of “the other side,” and that Israeli state secular schools do a better job at that and are more self-critical, in contrast to Haredi schools.

By: directrob

directrob — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 20:42:35 +0000

The Hasbara formula here is very easy …

Accuse your opponent of ten times as much as what you see in the mirror.

By: Greg Pollock

Greg Pollock — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 02:36:26 +0000

One doesn’t have to make peace with someone who thinks as yourself.

Peace comes through difference.

By: Masoud Jayazeri

Masoud Jayazeri — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 23:44:40 +0000

Now it is time to investigate zionist textbooks. These are poisonous textbooks that expose children to a fraudulent zionist narrative of having actual history in the land. The zionists have as much historical claim to Palestine as they to do Peru or Palau

By: Y-Man

Y-Man — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 18:28:10 +0000

(In childish taunting voice) No you’re the meme!

By: Duh

Duh — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 15:10:48 +0000

You are the meme, yourself. A laughing stock to yourself who refuses to accept reality.

By: aristeides

aristeides — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 14:26:40 +0000

The true meaning of a “meme” is an idea that takes on a life of its own, replicating and propagating itself. The Palestinian textbook canard is such a meme.

Reading the comments on this site is an excellent illustration of the way people keep replicating and propagating false information because it fits into their ideological mindset. I’m very sure that Derfner is right here, and the meme will survive the truth.

By: Richard Lightbown

Richard Lightbown — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 13:58:40 +0000

Nice post Larry, but we shouldn’t get too complacent. It will be interesting to see if the relative ministries of education follow up on the recommendations given in the report, and especially whether anything will be done to change Ultra-Orthodox education.But I have to admit the Israeli state school books scored a lot higher than I was ever expecting. Call that a begrudging compliment.

By: Henry

Henry — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 13:54:06 +0000

Wow — that JTA story is creepy –

“…some conclusions that already are making some Israeli government officials very unhappy: Palestinian textbooks do not have as much anti-Israel incitement as often portrayed.”

I mean, here you have ‘the definitive source for American Jewish community news and opinion’ stating openly the fact that there are Israeli government officials who would be *happier* if it had been determined that Palestinian textbooks were teaching their kids to hate Israel and Jews. That’s *sick*.

I’ve gotten pretty jaded recently. This made my head spin.