Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Palestinian children taught to anticipate end of Israel on PA TV

by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik
A children's program on Palestinian Authority TV, The Best Home, taught that Israel's land belongs to the Palestinians and was "occupied" in 1948. The children were also taught to anticipate the end of the State of Israel when the TV host stated that the land "occupied" in 1948 "will return to us one day."

Click to view

The PA claims in its international diplomacy that it recognizes Israel's right to exist and that it only considers land under Israeli administration since 1967 "occupied." However, as Palestinian Media Watch has documented, the PA adamantly denies Israel's right to exist within any borders and often refers to all of Israel as an "occupation."

Palestinian children are also taught in school to deny Israel's right to exist. For example, an official 12th grade PA schoolbook teaches that the creation of the "so-called State of Israel" was theft of "Palestine":

"Palestine's [1948] 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, destroyed more than 500 villages and cities, and established the so-called State of Israel."
[Arabic Language, Analysis, Literature and Criticism, Grade 12, p. 69,
Revised Experimental Edition, 2012]
"The Nakba (i.e., "the catastrophe," Palestinian term for the establishment of the State of Israel) that took place in 1948, when the Jews occupied Palestine and established their state on its land, and banished the Palestinian nation into exile and to neighboring states, after they tortured it, massacred, and stole its land, its homes and its holy sites."
[Arabic Language, Analysis, Literature and Criticism, Grade 12, pp.74-75, Revised Experimental Edition, 2012.]
The same Best Home program also demonized Israelis as people who routinely steal Palestinian folklore, dress, and culture.

The following is the text from the program:

PA TV host: "And of course we will never forget that we have land that was occupied in 1948, which will return to us one day. Remember well, children. Also [remember] to safeguard our folklore, our national games, the folklore in all its forms, our dress and our food and our games and anything that forms the Palestinian folklore - we have to safeguard it. If we don't safeguard it, then the occupation might steal it as well, as it stole our land. Right? Do you agree with me? Bravo!"
[PA TV (Fatah), Feb. 23, 2013]


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