Palestinian Children: What are they being Taught?

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Introduction
Both the 1993 Oslo Accords and the Road Map[1] released on April 30, 2003 highlight the important role education plays in fostering peace. While the Road Map refers to the education issue obliquely - calling on the parties to “end incitement” against each other - Western democratic norms accept that teaching children to respect their neighbours and their neighbours’ beliefs is essential for creating an environment where peace will survive.

As part of its continuing review of the rights of children in the Middle East, the Prism Group has conducted a thorough survey on the subject of materials offered to Palestinian children in their schools. This position paper examines the more recent research on this issue. Hate-filled schoolbooks and multicultural intolerance not only divide Jews and Arabs in the Middle East, but have begun to threaten societies outside of the region.

The best hope for a prolonged peace remains a new generation, educated by a responsible leadership towards peaceful co-existence as opposed to hatred and intolerance.

Schools in the Palestinian Territories – The Role of UNRWA
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) was established in December 1949. It is mandated to provide education and other social services for Palestinians in 27[2] refuge camps both in the West Bank and Gaza, as well as a further 32 in neighbouring countries. The agency’s total budget for 2003 alone was US$405 million.[3] UNRWA employs approximately 24,000 local Palestinian residents.[4] It operates approximately 250 schools in the West Bank and Gaza Strip alone, often playing a key role in the distribution of new materials for learning.

UNRWA therefore has a wide influence on the every day life of a large number of Palestinians, especially children. This means that it has a critical role to play in every aspect of relieving the pressures of conflict and moving toward peace.[5]

Is the Palestinian Educational Model Pervaded by Incitement?
Professor Nathan Brown, of George Washington University, in his work on the Palestinian curriculum found that there is no incitement in Palestinian schools. Primarily restricting his study to materials printed up to the year 2000, he challenged the view that textbooks and the school curriculum systematically teach Palestinian children to hate Israel and the Jews, and that ‘incitement’ is a major cause of the current uprising against Israeli occupation.

Professor Brown described how the Palestinian Authority (PA) had published two sets of books. The first, the National Education series was written in 1994 and was designed to supplement the interim use of Jordanian and Egyptian books. He saw it as bland, going out of its way to avoid controversy. “Most remarkable, the 1994 books made no mention of any area as Palestinian outside of those occupied by Israel in 1967.”[6]

The second series of books, a comprehensive curriculum, was introduced in 2000 for the first and sixth grades. Other grades have been addressed since then. Professor Brown felt that the newer books broke some of the silence of their predecessors but still generally treated sensitive issues with circumspection. Based on a review of those books, he reasoned:

Professor Brown’s claims have not gone unchallenged. Most notably, the Center for Monitoring the Impact For Peace In The Middle East (CMIP)[7] has been engaged in an academic war of words with Professor Brown for some time.[8] The CMIP was established in 1998. It has received international acclaim as an authority on textbooks in various Arab countries and has undertaken extensive research in this field. While Professor Brown’s publications do not analyse in detail material published since 2001, CMIP’s work is continuously updated. The Center has raised some genuine concerns about the school books used by Palestinian children, which can be briefly summarized as follows:-

• Palestinian educators have not made any notable changes to the curriculum to ensure a more open and humanistic approach, as designed by UNESCO.
• Numerous Palestinian textbooks, including those published since 2000, are still highly misleading and can be described as inflammatory.
• Both the Israeli and Palestinian authorities have used books originally published by the Egyptian and Jordanian education ministries. However, the Israelis endeavoured to take out sections deemed to cause incitement.

New Evidence from 2003 – IPCRI Findings
In March 2003, a unique and valuable contribution was made to this debate. A binational and non-governmental organisation, the Israel / Palestinian Center for Research and Information (IPCRI),[9] published a report highlighting the failings of the Palestinian education system.[10] The institute is renowned for sponsoring joint Arab – Israeli programmes for children and is supported by the European Union and many other European governments. The IPCRI co-directors, Gershon Baskin, Ph.D. and Zakaria al Qaq, Ph.D., are respected for their contacts with the current Palestinian leadership.

On June 8, 2003, they wrote a public e-mail to the White House. In it, they stated that “….The findings include specific recommendations for amending some 20 Palestinian text books from the 80 text books we reviewed.” This statement refers to books printed since the year 2000.

While disclaiming incitement, Baskin and al Qaq state in the full report that “these textbooks fail to apply the principles and concepts (of religious tolerance) to include Jews and the State of Israel.… and although the curriculum provides the opportunity for students to recognize and respect beliefs and practices of “others”, the concept of the “other”, in most cases, is limited to Christians.”[11] The findings are clear. They detail:

1. the failings in the teaching of civil society and cultural literacy.
2. that Jews are “inadequately and inappropriately represented”,[12] in the historical events of the region.
3. the problems in teaching religious identity, where the textbooks “seem to ignore their existence (of Jewish religious places) or their importance to Jews and the State of Israel.”[13]
4. that, with regard to modern history, Jews “are negatively represented.”[14]

The IPCRI report acknowledges the difficulties facing the Palestinian Ministry of Education, which is trying to carry out a long-term plan during a period of rapid change and violence. Such an environment negatively impacts on what is described as the “hidden” and “missing” (untaught) curricula, as well as what is presented visibly to the students.[15] At the same time, the document concludes that the curriculum “could be viewed democratic in many respects, but mainly for responding to the popular and nationalistic aspirations, needs and interests of the Palestinian people….”[16]

IPCRI’s recommendations are comprehensive and extend into a discussion on tolerance. The passage at the end of the general section crucially concludes that: “Education for peace and tolerance should aim at fostering understanding and respect of the national, cultural and religious identity of the other party. The Israeli perspective should be mentioned, without necessarily accepting it….”[17]

Palestinian Textbooks and Incitement
The Prism Group has researched several other examples of textbooks used by schools within the jurisdiction of the PA. It is apparent that many texts can be described as inflammatory. Examples of excerpts from those texts can be found in Appendix A.

Similar findings have been noted by a leading British freelance journalist, Matthew Kalman. He stated “that the Palestinian Authority has removed the anti-Semitic stereotypes, which featured prominently in Jordanian and Egyptian textbooks… (However) according to 58 new textbooks and two teachers’ guides, no positive or even neutral images of Jews and Israelis have been introduced.”[18] Mr. Kalman’s report is particularly relevant - especially coming from somebody who has traveled to numerous UNRWA facilities - as it refers to material published since the beginning of the latest Palestinian violence, which commenced in September 2000.

Israeli Intelligence – A Biased Source of Information?
Since the middle of 2002, the Israeli army has released substantial documentation captured from the Palestinian Authority. While it is easy to argue that the Israelis have “a point to prove”, what is striking, with regard to education, is the consistency with IPCRI’s findings.

For example, the Israeli army liaison unit for the Palestinian Territories conducted a study of 11 books released in September 2002 by the Palestinian Ministry of Education.[19] The books cover grades 3 and 8. The following themes are repeated in many of the textbooks:

• A continuing denial of the connection between the Jewish people and the physical land of Israel.
• Israel defined as an enemy to be challenged through a violent struggle.
• Negating Israel’s existence through its non-placement on maps, etc.

The report provides more than 30 examples to prove its thesis. Three have been selected for the following brief analysis..

• In a list of holy places in “Palestine”, no mention is made of the holy places of Jews.[20]
• In a particular exercise where cities have to be ascribed to their countries, Nablus, Jerusalem and Safed are in one group. They must be linked to the same country (Palestine, by deduction, as Israel is not mentioned).[21]
• When Israel is mentioned, it is in a distinctly negative manner. For example, Israelis are accused of plundering Palestinian heritage: “the occupation did all in its power to destroy the cultural infrastructure of our society”.[22]

The discovery of a school notebook[23] provides another telling example of the ethos generated by the Palestinian educational establishment. It belonged to a young teenager in Kalandia, just north of Jerusalem, where the school is sponsored and managed by UNRWA. The subject of the child’s work focused on residents of Kalandia that had been killed during the recent surge of Palestinian violence, specifically members of Fatah and the El Aksa Martyr’s Brigade, the military wing of Yasser Arafat’s Fatah party. The report concentrates on the actions of Ali Ibrahim Abed el Rahman Aljulani, who drove into Tel Aviv in August, 2001 and opened fire on passersby, wounding ten people before he was stopped by Israeli security guards.

Two elements of the student’s project are extremely revealing:

1. The outside reader can identify the deeply ingrained impact on the next generation of the wide-spread glorification of the violence used in the Palestinian struggle.
2. The work was compiled in a United Nations-sponsored facility, which is assumed to be working to promote peace and understanding rather than stoking the flames of hatred and terrorist activity. The work was, in fact, prepared on UNRWA stationery.

The Hidden Elements of Education
It is self-evident that school books alone are not the sole – nor even sometimes the major - source of influence over the students. As previously mentioned, the IPCRI report specifically refers to the effects of the “hidden” curriculum and also to the gap between what is prescribed and what is actually taught.[24] Major factors in a child’s formative years also include the teachers themselves, their presentation methods and the role model they represent.

In this context, it is pertinent to recall how differing factions – and especially Hamas[25] - are grasping to control the Palestinian education system. In internal correspondence of the Palestinian National Authority’s Gaza Preventative Security Service the assessment was confirmed that “Hamas has infiltrated into the Ministry of Education and … [has] thus gained influence over the students.”[26] It was further observed that “The Hamas movement begins to constitute a real threat to the political vision of the Palestinian National Authority and to its interests, its presence and its influence. The influence of the Hamas via the teachers in the schools is very clear.”[27]

Further Negative Influences on the Young Palestinian
Based on the evidence from textbooks, it is apparent that the Palestinian education system is covered in an atmosphere of intolerance, if not hatred. However, schools are not the only means by which children can be influenced in their attitudes towards their neighbours. At least three other factors can be detected:

• the home environment
• television
• extra curricular activities

The home: Senior Palestinian spokesperson Hanan Ashwari rebuked NBC journalists when they alleged that Palestinians are teaching their children to become murderers, stating that only monsters would do such things.[28] However NBC journalists were stating an obvious point: it is impossible to ignore parents’ influence on their children’s behaviour.[29] It can be readily argued that recent years have seen an increasing polarisation within Palestinian society. This is reflected in the easily available array of quotes on which the following is based. Here is a collection of comments from Palestinian parents, which have been collated from various publications:

• "I’m prepared to sacrifice my six children," said Mahmoud Sumara’s mother, Halima. "I’m serious. I don’t mind if I lose them if that brings back al-Aqsa..."[30]
• "I pray that G-d will choose them (to be martyrs)" (said a father of a 13-year-old to journalist Chris Hedges of the NY Times.)[31]
• "I am happy that he [her 13-year-old son] has been martyred. I will sacrifice all my sons and daughters (12 in all) to Al-Aqsa and Jerusalem." a mother said to journalist Sam Kiley.[32]
• "If I had 20 children I would send them all down (to fight), I wouldn’t spare any of them. We’re not scared of death." (Taman Sabeh, a 50-year-old woman in Nablus).[33]
• A mother speaking about another mother whose children were involved in fighting: "The danger of injury to the boy Tzabar Ahkaram, 18, paralysis and permanent disability, just added to his mother’s determination to encourage her sons to participate in the intifada riots…the fact of his injury did not cause her to mourn. She said she had previously lost her older son Iyyad."[34]

Palestinian television: The Palestinian Authority has long been accused of using the local media to propagate its ideas of violence, especially through television broadcasts. Here are quotes from two television programs broadcast in recent years.

On August 28, 2000, Palestine television aired a program for young children called "The Bird’s Garden”. It depicts the land of Israel as Palestine. "We are ready with our guns; revolution until victory; revolution until victory" -- a chant of young boys with arms raised at a rally. "Today I chose a really nice drawing for you of the map of Palestine. Let’s look at it together. There is Acre, Haifa, Jaffa, Tiberias, Nazareth, Jerusalem… Palestine is so beautiful!"

During a televised sermon on December 6, 2002, by Dr. Mustafa Najem, Jews were referred to as “cursed ... the brothers of monkeys and pigs, with a stream of curses that will continue until the Resurrection...” Moreover, attacking and afflicting Jews was presented as part of the destiny Muslims and Arabs have to fulfill, a religious obligation from Allah: "Allah loves those who fight on his behalf… Allah said against the Jews ... ‘your Lord has declared that He will surely send against them [the Jews] until Resurrection, those who will afflict them with terrible torment…"

Summer camps: Additional fertile ground used for influencing the mindset of young Palestinians is summer camps. Both the BBC and the French Second Channel have presented documentaries on the subject. The evidence of this concentrated attempt to capture the young Palestinian child is readily available.

• On July 2, 2002, the Al Quds newspaper carried an article by Sheikh Dr. Ahmed Bakhar, the Chairman of the Islamic Movement. He wrote that the leaders of the Movement have made efforts to hold the summer camps in spite of the conflict, out of a belief in the values instilled in the Palestinian children at the camps.
• The website of the Al-Aqsa Martyr’s brigade, the military wing of Chairman Arafat’s Fatah movement, shows pictures of children training in uniform with weapons.[35]
• Some of the camps have been named after well-known terrorists, such as Jihad Al-Amarin, the founder of the suicide terror division of the Fatah, the Al-Aksa Martyrs’ Brigade. In the summer of 2003, a camp was named after Wafa Idris, the first known female suicide bomber. She had blown herself up in Jerusalem in January 2002, killing one person and injuring dozens of other civilians.
• These camps include activities designed to present these terrorists as role models and heroes for the children.

Of particular concern are recent reports about these camps in various Palestinian newspapers, which not only confirm the above trends, but much more seriously, acknowledge the financial support of the world community of these specific camps, via UNICEF.[36]

Manifestations of Hatred
Despite the findings described here, the question remains whether or not Palestinian children are actually motivated by these influences. The previous section described how it is the teachers, parents and / or national leaders who allow – and often encourage - these young people be used in such a manner, which is in contravention of international conventions on the protection of children’s rights.

At this time, there is no known scientific survey which can point us to the direct effects of these outputs. A professional analysis was offered by Clive Williams, director of terrorism studies at the Australian National University. He noted that there is evidence of people seeing injustices on television and then acting unilaterally.[37]

It is pertinent to mention here the regular participation of juveniles. There are many examples. Mr. Abu Mazen, Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, was quoted in a Kuwaiti newspaper, “Alzaman” and a Jordanian journal, “Alra’i” in June 2002, stating: “I am against little children going out to die. It is a terrible thing. At least 40 children in Rafiah lost their arms from throwing Bangalore torpedoes (pipe bombs). They received (approximately US$1)….Why is this done?” It seems that children, educated and socialised in violence willingly succumb to the encouragement of their peers.

Similarly, the Al-Quds newspaper reported on 28 May, 2003 the results of a letter-writing competition, sponsored by the Palestinian Ministry of Education. The ten leading entries all contained similar themes; the call for the complete destruction of the State of Israel and the assumption that the enemy is only interested in pursuing the blood of young Palestinian children. None of the winners recognised the need for peace and compromise.

The Funding of the Palestinian Education System
The EU is one of the most significant international contributors to the funding of the Palestinian education, as the figures below indicate. The organisation uses three main channels:

• Monies paid directly to the Palestinian Authority (PA)
• Donations paid directly to UNRWA
• Contributions to MEDA (Euro-Mediterranean Partnership Programme), which are passed on to UNRWA.

Based on information published by the EU, it is apparent that vast sums have been invested in the Palestinian territories since the commencement of the Oslo process in 1993. For example:

• The EC and its member countries gave a total of EUR 2.44 billion in direct assistance between 1994 and 2001.[38] That figure has continued to rise annually.
• These same countries donated EUR 1.03 billion to UNRWA during this same period.[39] The target for 2002-2005 is an additional EUR 237 million, including EUR 57.75 million in 2003.[40] This represents approximately 15% of the total UNRWA proposed budget for the year.

The EU has proposed spending an additional EUR 5.35 billion through MEDA between 2000 and 2006. This will be divided among 12 partners throughout the Mediterranean including Israel, the PA, Egypt and others. The contribution allows for loans from the EIB.[41] For the first two years alone, EUR 8 million in total was allocated for what was described as the Palestinian Education Ministry’s “recurrent costs”. (These figures do not include the investment in UNRWA during 1990s).

These are vast sums and they do not include donations by individual states. There have also been significant contributions from outside Europe. The United States offered financial support during the 1990s. Canada is quoted as having donated more than C$200 million since 1993 to various Palestinian education schemes, as well as to UNRWA and Palestinian projects linked to the World Bank.[42]

Of course, UNRWA also provides services outside the field of education and the Palestinians are the prime but not the sole beneficiaries of  the European investment. However, what is certain is that the international community – and the EU in particular - is a major financial supporter of Palestinian public services and educational facilities. While the organizations and countries that support the PA do not buy textbooks directly, many of the inflammatory materials would not be available without their injection of cash.

It is worth adding that the European Commission has consistently justified its support of the printing of textbooks on the grounds that the new books, while not perfect, did not contain incitement[43]. Additionally, some of the books were updated editions of prior Egyptian and Jordanian materials previously approved by Israeli authorities. However, the earlier part of this report has shown that the first claim is clearly unjustifiable. Further, it has been established by CMIP and others that while the Israeli and UNRWA authorities have used the same Egyptian and Jordanian books, the Israelis took the essential step of removing all problematic literature before printing.

Does Incitement Affect the Global Community?
The year 2003 has seen the international media reporting extensively on the potential influence of specific Muslim clerics in large Western cities.

It appears that some in the media are playing on the fears of innocent readers, leading to investigative reporting of an unprofessional standard. However, in many documented instances, some preachers have been motivated to the point of assertive activism.

• The Italian government felt forced to remove the Imam of the Grand Mosque of Rome in June 2003.
• England has sought the deportation of an openly fundamentalist teacher, originally from Egypt.
• On June 18, 2003, members of the UK Parliament tabled a motion expressing their concern as to the effects of inflammatory material originating in Middle Eastern media, which is directly indoctrinating UK citizens toward race-hatred.

The most illuminating story to date has come from America. The Daily News of New York[44] reported on March 30, 2003 that approximately 3,500 children attending private Islamic schools in the New York area are subjected to a curriculum that denigrates Jews and Christians alike. The item quoted what it referred to as a typical passage from the school materials. Used for grades 3 – 6, the book referred to Jewish and Christian society in the following terms: "Many lead such decadent and immoral lives that lying, alcohol, nudity, pornography, racism, foul language, premarital sex, homosexuality and everything else are accepted in their society, churches and synagogues."[45]

Based on the initial evidence, there are increasing signs that the popular fundamentalist-style of education in the Middle East is beginning to encroach on the Western children. As Jane’s International Security News recently reported, UK and other western countries now fear that terrorists strikes will come from those raised and educated locally, as well as from overseas operatives.[46]

By Comparison: A Study of the Israeli Curriculum
Approximately 20% of Israel’s primary and secondary students are not Jewish, and this includes Muslims, Christians and Druze. Educational materials and instructions for national examinations are published in Arabic, an official language in Israel. The country has continuous close ties with respected international monitoring agencies, including UNESCO.

All reviews of high school and junior high school materials have shown that despite years of war and in more recent times, urban terror, the education system is neither the victim of incitement nor a breeder of violence. For example, in Israel, graffiti praising racial violence is not a common feature on school walls, as opposed to buildings in UNRWA facilities. And while school projects are often focused on the victims of terror, they are not geared to glorify violence or promote revenge attacks against Palestinians. Palestinian culture or religious values are neither attacked nor denigrated.

There is ample evidence of the Israeli Ministry of Education promoting inter-ethnic programmes. One such success story has been co-sponsored by the British Council. Called “Dreams and Teams”,[47] it is designed to promote “youth leadership and community involvement through sport”. At the first stage, this has involved handicapped children from Jewish and Muslim schools in the north of the country. A second project will include children sharing video diaries and other messages, talking about their daily lives in inner-city Manchester and schools from the Jewish and Bedouin sectors in Israel.[48] Not only are several different sections of society participating as well as the cooperation of a European contributor, but the investment can be traced openly and is working for the mutual benefit of everyone.

Although an extensive independent study has not yet been performed, and while no doubt improvements can be recommended, a preliminary review of existing literature continues to indicate that Israeli students are offered values commensurate with any balanced and democratic society.

The Human Rights of Children
In previous works, The Prism Group has highlighted how children in the Middle East have become the pawns of politicians. United Nations declarations are very clear on these issues.  

"The child shall enjoy special protection, and shall be given opportunities and facilities, by law and by other means, to enable him to develop physically, mentally, morally, spiritually and socially in a healthy and normal manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity."
Principle 2, Declaration of the Rights of the Child - UN General Assembly resolution 1386 (XIV), 20 November 1959

The Prism Group has also stressed in the past that it welcomes the financing of social programmes for Palestinians, Israelis and other groups in the Middle East.[49] The question is whether the desire of countries outside the region to promote the well-being of the next generation of Palestinian children has been mishandled to the detriment of all groupings.

The EU has stressed the need for an end to incitement to hatred and violence, particularly in schools. In this context the European Union welcomes the new Palestinian cabinet's intention in its 100-day plan of 25 June 2002 'to seek to reinforce …. humanistic values, …and renounce fanaticism in the educational curricula and spread the spirit of democracy, enlightenment and openness on a wide scale.’[50]

However, with the academic school year of 2002-2003 completed, the evidence strongly suggests that large segments of the Palestinian school system - a system that receives vast overseas help from taxpayers money - is still swirling in an atmosphere of hatred. Furthermore, new materials of dubious content are continuing to enter the curriculum, sponsored by UNRWA and the Palestinian Ministry Of Education. The failure to organize school materials focusing on the benefits of promoting peace and understanding, rather than hatred and the glorification of violence, leaves children of all sides in a more precarious position than ever.

Summary
School materials currently being used in Palestinian schools are a direct impediment to achieving peace in the Middle East.

It is vital that all children, both Palestinian and Israeli, grow up free of violence and hate. This is the key to a true and lasting peace for the region and the world as a whole. Given this evidence, it is worth recalling the words of Mr. Dennis Ross, a former Middle East envoy with rich experience. “Incitement in ….schools betrays any interest in peace and must come to an end…”[51]

Postscript
As this report was being prepared, several welcoming items of news appeared concerning serious efforts by the Palestinian authorities to halt the slide of incitement: -

• A campaign was launched to clean graffiti of walls in public places in Gaza, although it is not certain if this has survived more than a few days.
• There has been a report that a further 800,000 new textbooks are being printed for the 2003 – 2004 Palestinian academic year, sponsored by the EU. Some of these materials may end up replacing books recently printed by UNRWA in recent years.
• A joint Israeli-Palestinian anti-incitement committee has been established by the Foreign Minister of Israel, Mr. Silvan Shalom, together with the Palestinian Information Minister, Mr. Nabil Amr.

It is essential that those small beginnings be turned into major ground breaking events. The inherent problem remains the need for the Palestinian and Israeli leadership to become active agents of permanent and consistent change. The Roadmap correctly places the end of incitement is an early prerequisite for the creation of a solid and lasting peace.[52]

In light of this, it must be of concern to all peoples that there are many other press reports pointing to contrary trends. Of special note are the words of the Chairman of the Palestinian Authority. When he received a group of children from a summer camp, he praised youngsters who had bravely confronted Israeli soldiers, and encouraged the campers to follow their example.

Such an act flies in the face of the joint efforts to eliminate incitement to violence.

Mr. Shalom, in summarising his hopes, recalled the words of the late John F. Kennedy, a man who did more than his fair share to break the barriers of hatred. Mr. Shalom reminded the participants in this conflict that “Peace does not lie in charters and covenants alone. It lies in the hearts and minds of the people.”[53] Once incitement, the main ballast of hatred, is removed, the concept of sanctuary and safety can exist for all.

Appendix A – Examples of Incitement in Palestinian Textbooks

• "There is no alternative to destroying Jerusalem,"[54]
• "The return of the Jews to Palestine and permitting them to establish a Jewish state contradicts history."[55]
• "The book is dedicated to . . . ‘those who are battling for the expulsion of the enemy from our land!"[56]
• " . . . There will be a Jihad [Holy War] and our country shall be freed. This is our story with the thieving conquerors. You must know, my boy, that Palestine is your grave responsibility."[57]
• "Remember: The final and inevitable result will be the victory of the Muslims over the Jews."[58]
• "Exercise: Distinguish between verb and noun clauses: ‘The land is our land and Jerusalem is ours."[59]
• "The honorable soul has two objectives: Achieving death and honor."[60]
• "The Martyr rejoices in the paradise that Allah has prepared for him . . ."[61]
• "The Jews claim that this is one of the places belonging to them and call it ‘The Western Wall,’ but this is not so."[62]
• "Racism: Mankind has suffered from this evil both in ancient as well as in modern times, for, indeed, Satan has, in the eyes of many people, made their evil actions appear beautiful . . .Such a people are the Jews."[63]
• "Lessons to be learned: One must beware of the Jews, for they are treacherous and disloyal."[64]
• "Subject for Composition: How are we going to liberate our stolen land? Make use of the following ideas: Arab unity, genuine faith in Allah, most modern weapons and ammunition, using oil and other precious natural resources as weapons in the battle for liberation,"[65]
• ". . Martyred Jihad fighters are the most honored people, after the Prophets. ."[66]
• "The clearest examples of racist belief and racial discrimination in the world are Nazism (sic) and Zionism"[67]

Endnotes
[1] http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2003/20062pf.htm
[2] http://www.un.org/unrwa/refugees/camp-profiles.html
[3] http://www.un.org/unrwa/finances/pdf/summary.pdf
[4] http://www.un.org/unrwa/
[5] It should be noted that in recent years, UNRWA’s role has been criticized for what many see as its inability to administer its mandate in an impartial manner. The view expressed by Tom Lantos, a ranking senator from the USA, can be described as representative of many. His letter in May 2002 to Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary General, noted the concern that “UNRWA is perpetuating, rather than ameliorating the situation of the Palestinian refugees.” He went on to claim that its facilities are being abused, citing that at least 23 suicide bombers alone have originated from the UNRWA camp in Jenin.
[6] History and the Contest Over the Palestinian Curriculum; Prof. Nathan Brown; Nov. 2001 http://www.geocities.com/nathanbrown1/Adam_Institute_Palestinian_textbooks.htm
See also: http://www.geocities.com/nathanbrown1/
[7] http://www.edume.org/about/about1.htm
[8] http://www.nad-plo.org/textbooks/textbooks.html
[9] http://www.ipcri.org/index1.html
[10] Analysis And Evaluation Of The New Palestinian Curriculum
[11] ibid, page 5
[12] ibid, page 6
[13] ibid, page 7
[14] ibid, page 8
[15] ibid, page 11
[16] ibid, page 16
[17] ibid, page 43
[18] National Post, 4 November 2001
[19] http://www.intelligence.org.il/sp/prop/hp.htm
[20]“Al Tabiya Al Tabania”, Section A: Grade 3, Pages 37 - 39
[21] “Gearaphit Al Be’at”: Grade 8, Page 81
[22] “Al Matala’aya Ve’al Neostz”, Section A: Grade 8, Page 106
[23] http://www.intelligence.org.il/eng/default.htm
[24] Analysis And Evaluation Of The New Palestinian Curriculum, Pages 11 - 12
[25] The Hamas website openly encourages acts of violence by children against the Israeli enemy. The reasoning behind this was supplied in a BBC television interview with Tim Sebastian on May 20 2003. Dr Mahmoud Zahar, a senior Hamas Spokesman, declared that “the attitude of Islam is not to accept a foreign state in this area”. He continued to describe the Hamas vision of a pan-Islamic state for the geographical area including Israel. Various elements of Hamas have now been outlawed in many European countries and North America.
[26] Majed Abed Smallah Assistant Head for Activity Issues to Head of the Preventative Security in the Gaza Strip (Rashid Abu Shabak) Nov. 13, 2002
[27] Political Security Department Head to Head of the Preventative Security in the Gaza Strip (Rashid Abu Shabak) Nov. 11, 2002
[28] NBC News
[29] For example, see the recent work by Brooks and Goldstein, June 2003
[30] NBC News
[31] New York Times; Oct. 29, 2000
[32] London Times
[33] Associated Press quotation
[34] Palestinian Authority newspaper Al-Ayyam; Nov. 1, 2000
[35] www.kataebalaqsa.org
[36] Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, July 22, 2003, Al-Quds, July 23, 2003, Al-Ayyam July 18, 2003, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, July 13, 2003, all as cited by Palestine Media Watch Bulletin, July 25, 2003
[37] “The Australian”, 26 June 2003
[38] http://www.delwbg.cec.eu.int/en/partnership/02/aid.htm
[39] ibid
[40] http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/gaza/news/ip02_1438.htm
[41] http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/news/patten/speech_01_49.htm
[42] The Ottowa Citizen, 24 November 2001
[43] http://ue.eu.int/pressData/en/misc/70923.pdf
[44] “Sowing Seeds of Hatred” http://www.nydailynews.com/news/local/story/71199p-66134c.html
[45] "What Islam is About," IBTS, pg. 188; target readers: Grades 3-6
[46] “Suicide bombs - Britain at risk.” Jane's International Security News – 22 May 2003
[47] http://www.britishcouncil.org/education/dreams
[48] http://www.britishcouncil.org/education/dreams/theatre.htm
[49] See the position paper: “Alleged Misuse Of Funds Supplied To The PA By The EU”, January 2003 http://www.theprismgroup.org/PDF/EUInquiry.pdf
[50] http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/mepp/faq/index.htm
[51] Washington Post, November 20, 2001
[52] http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2003/20062pf.htm
[53] http://www.embassyofisrael.org/articals/2003/July/2003071400.htm
[54] Our Country Palestine; a banner on the title page of Vol. 1
[55] Ibid; introduction, page ix
[56] Ibid; dedication
[57] "Our Arabic Language"
[58] Ibid.
[59] Ibid.
[60] Abd al-Rahim Mahmud’s Song of the Martyr. Sixth Grade
[61] Islamic Education for Seventh Grade
[62] Reader and Literary Texts for Eighth Grade.
[63] Islamic Education for Eighth Grade.
[64] Islamic Education for Ninth Grade.
[65] Our Arabic Language for Seventh Grade.
[66] Reading and Literary Texts for Tenth Grade.
[67] The Contemporary History of the Arabs and the World.