Battle of the Books in Palestine (Page 2)

The effects of this campaign have already been nothing short of disastrous. In December 2000, faced with strong parliamentary pressure during an election campaign, the Italian government, referring directly to the CMIP study, informed the Palestinians that it can no longer finance the development of the new Palestinian school curriculum. At the same time, the World Bank notified the Palestinian Ministry of Education that money allocated for the development of school texts and teacher training will have to be diverted to other projects. This rush to judgment has led to similar reactions by a number of other donor countries.

The focus on Palestinian textbooks has meant the avoidance of other, more important issues. More than a quarter of all Palestinians so far killed by the Israeli army are under 18. The Palestinian educational system has suffered serious setbacks because Israeli closures--first imposed in 1993 and tightened considerably during the new intifada--prevent students and teachers from reaching their schools for long periods of time. And there is no debate or even the slightest bit of international concern about the psychological effects of violence on Palestinian children.

Normally, international agencies are quick to send mental-health professionals to war-torn areas to help children cope with situations of extreme stress. The Palestinians have had to cope on their own, with limited resources, without international assistance. In October 2000 I tried to convene a small group of people to discuss what can be done to help schoolchildren cope. We discovered, to our amazement, that international agencies like UNICEF and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency had evacuated their personnel.

Palestinian mental-health professionals and school counselors report numerous cases of post-traumatic stress disorder among school-age children, especially those whose homes and schools are near points of confrontation. Symptoms include depression; disturbed sleep and nightmares; difficulty concentrating and remembering things, especially schoolwork; diminished interest in enjoyable activities; emotional detachment from parents and friends; and bedwetting. The Palestinian educational system simply cannot cope with the problem. Severe cases of shock go untreated because of the lack of skilled professionals.

Dr. Firer's Palestinian co-researcher, Dr. Sami Adwan of the education department at Bethlehem University, responds to Marcus's allegations: "How can a Palestinian write in a textbook that Israelis or Jews should be loved, while what he is experiencing is death, land expropriation, demolition of homes and daily degradation? Give us a chance to teach loving." Dr. Adwan correctly points out that what children see on the street, on TV and on the Internet has a far greater impact than any book.

It is indeed frightening that a small, extreme-right-wing organization, producing shoddy work, can help shape the agenda in a rather complex conflict and eventually have such a far-reaching impact on governments throughout the world.

Israel's occupation of Palestinian lands breeds more hatred and mistrust than any schoolbooks can. Indeed, if Itamar Marcus wants Palestinians to stop identifying Israel as the "evil colonialist enemy who stole their land," he would do far better to join the campaign to end Israel's occupation, land expropriation and settlement construction, which continue to this day.

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