Palestine developing school curriculums that teach coexistence, tolerance, justice, and human dignity

Fayyad Welcomes the International Report on School Books, Calls on Israel to Cease Attempts to Detract from the Report's Professionalism

Prime Minister Salam Fayyad expresses his satisfaction with a main finding of a study initiated by the Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land in 2009, that confirms that Palestinian textbooks do not contain any form of blatant incitement, which is based on contempt towards the ‘other’.

Dr. Fayyad stated; "This study, which was recently completed by a group of expert researchers and analysts from different nationalities, proves what we have repeatedly affirmed in response to allegations that have now been invalidated". He added, "From the onset, we took all measures to extend the highest degree of cooperation with the researchers, especially from the Ministry of Education. This cooperation stemmed from our firm conviction of the significance of the issue and the need to discuss it on objective and professional bases, rather than pre-conceived notions and stereotypes".

Dr. Fayyad also affirms that he issued his instructions to the Ministry of Education to study the report thoroughly and to use its conclusions as a guide in the ongoing efforts to develop school curriculums aimed at keeping up to date with developments and achieving total harmony with our people’s deeply rooted principles of coexistence, tolerance, justice, and human dignity, which constitute a principal component of the system of moral values on which the independent state of Palestine will be established.

Finally, Fayyad calls on the government of Israel to deal with the study in the same spirit and to abandon its stated position in this regard. He also calls on the Israeli government to desist from attempts to detract from the objectivity and professionalism of the study because its conclusions are not in line with its standing preconceived positions.

ATFP to Co-Host Briefing on Israeli and Palestinian Schoolbooks  

DO ISRAELI OR PALESTINIAN SCHOOLBOOKS TEACH VIOLENCE?

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. The study was fully funded by the U.S. State Department.

The full study report and the translated quotes from the schoolbooks will be available for download as of Feb. 4, at 2:30 a.m. ET at www.IsraeliPalestinianSchoolbooks.blogspot.com