ATFP Hosts Washington Briefing on Israeli and Palestinian Schoolbooks
Washington DC, Feb. 6 -- The American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP)
today hosted a briefing presenting the findings of the first definitive,
scientific study of Israeli and Palestinian schoolbooks at the National
Press Club in Washington, DC. ATFP President Ziad J. Asali welcomed
Professors Sami Adwan (Bethlehem University), Daniel Bar-Tal (Tel-Aviv
University) and Bruce E. Wexler (Yale University) to present their
findings. The three-year study was reviewed from start to finish by a
Scientific Advisory Panel of experts in textbook analysis from Germany
and the United States, and leading Israeli and Palestinian academics.
The advisory panel concluded that the study sets a new international
standard for textbook study methodology.
Dr. Asali told the capacity-crowd audience that, "We are very proud to
host the distinguished team of scholars. The study shows the need to
educate for peace. Narratives in conflict perpetuate the conflict, and
are perpetuated by it." Prof. Wexler began with an overview of the
methodology and the rigorous standards that were employed, and
summarized the study's findings (the full report can be downloaded here).
Prof. Bar-Tal explained that, "This is in many respect an unusual
study. We needed to develop a picture that goes beyond the studies that
have gone before. We needed a new method that combined qualitative and
quantitative factors, which is rarely done, to get a true diagnosis of
what is in the books we studied." Prof. Adwan said the study centered on
rigorous procedures, including "joint leadership and research
assistants, an international advisory team, a standardized research
method to maximize objectivity, and simultaneous evaluation for added
reliability."
Prof. Bar-Tal emphasized that the schoolbooks tend to reinforce the
narratives of each side, as is typical in any conflict, and downplay or
ignore the narrative of the other. Prof. Wexler noted that, "The whole
story of the study" can be found in the statistics about representations
of the other in the various books - Israeli state, ultra-Orthodox and
Palestinian schoolbooks. He said that there was more positive
representation of Palestinians in Israeli state books than in
Palestinian or ultra-Orthodox books. But, he added, "Sub-humanizing
depictions of the other were not to be found. They were absent. Extreme
negative characterizations of the other are rare and no not involve
sub-humanizing depictions."
Prof. Adwan noted that the issue of maps was a major finding, and that,
"A majority of both Israeli and Palestinian schoolbooks do not reflect
the rights and presence of the other side, especially in maps that show
the whole area as either Israel or Palestine. Dehumanization of the
other is very rare, but there is a tendency to reinforce their own
narratives and perpetuate a lack of information about the other. But
there is no incitement or hate speech as we have been hearing." Prof.
Bar Tal emphasized that Israeli schoolbooks had greatly improved since
the time hen he was a student in the 1960s, and Prof. Adwan added that
Palestinian schoolbooks are also far superior to the old Egyptian and
Jordanian books they relied on before
the establishment of the Palestinian Authority.
Regarding the reception of the report's findings, Prof. Bar-Tal noted,
"We are aware what is going on. We are surprised by the reaction even
though we are used to being criticized. This is not the last word and
there will be more studies. From now on it's up to the political
echelons to decide what can be done with our results." Prof. Adwan
noted, "We met with Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and he welcomed the
study. He has instructed the Palestinian Education Ministry to use the
results in future work and new schoolbooks."
Prof. Wexler added, "We are scientists and we are not shocked by the
results. But we are shocked by those who would try to discredit the
results rather than build on them." He said that everyone involved in
the Advisory Committee had approved the process and the results and that
no one had raised objections until very recently, and that "If we had
added every quote presented at the Israeli government press conference
yesterday, it would have made no difference to the statistics or the
results." He said, "We don't agree with the Israeli government that the
study is 'unprofessional,'" and said that the team had not met with
Israeli officials.
The study was initiated by the Council of Religious Institutions of the
Holy Land comprised of the Chief Rabbis of Israel, the Minister of
Religious Affairs of the Palestinian Authority, the Greek, Armenian and
Latin Patriarchs of Jerusalem and the Anglican and Lutheran Bishops of
the Holy Land; and was fully funded by the US State Department.
The full study report and the translated quotes from the schoolbooks is available for download here.
For more coverage of, and background on, the schoolbook study, below find an extensive index of press coverage:
Please help sustain ATFP's work and independent decision-making by donating here.
No comments:
Post a Comment