"Palestinian Textbooks: From Arafat to Abbas and Hamas" (pdf, 693 kb)
This is our concluding analysis of the seven-year schoolbook publication project, which took place in the Palestinian Authority until 2006. It is based on the six reports issued by IMPACT-SE (formerly CMIP) since 1998, including our recent draft report on schoolbooks for grades 11 and 12 (see below). It examines the underlying principles in PA's attitude to the Other and to peace in the Middle East, which are revealed in the books. It also attempts to determine whether a shift took place in this respect during the publication process, as a result of the major political changes in the Palestinian Authority. Briefly, it concludes that some improvement was noticeable in the schoolbooks published under Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, following the death of Yassir Arafat, but the older, uncompromising approach reappears under the Hamas-led government.

DRAFT: Jews, Israel, the West and Peace in the Palestinian Authority Textbooks
for Grades 11, 12 and Muslim Schools in the West Bank
By Dr. Arnon Groiss, September 2007

This draft report covers the school textbooks of the last two grades of the PA educational system, which were published in 2005 and 2006, thus ending a
seven-year process in which the PA replaced the old Jordanian and Egyptian schoolbook for all grades with its own ones. While the books for grades 1-10
were all written and published under the late PA Chairman Yasser Arafat, the books for grade 11 were written under his successor Mahmud Abbas and the books for grade 12 were written under the Hamas government, which may
account for the changes therein.

Read the Full Draft Report:
    English (pdf, 3.61 mb)

Read the Draft Report by Chapter:
    Table of Contents (pdf, 10 kb)
    Executive Summary (pdf, 37 kb)
    Introduction (pdf, 9 kb)
    Chapter 1: Other Religions and their Followers in General (pdf, 20 kb)
    Chapter 2: The Jews (pdf, 468 kb)
    Chapter 3: Israel (pdf, 1.22 mb)
    Chapter 4: The Conflict (pdf, 672 kb)
    Chapter 5: Peace (pdf, 105 kb)
    Chapter 6: War (pdf, 35 kb)
    Chapter 7: The West (pdf, 807 kb)
    Conclusion (pdf, 22 kb)
    Appendix: Books Issued by the PA Ministry (pdf, 218 kb)
    List of Sources (pdf, 10 kb)

Related Readings:

• AJC-CMIP Report: "Scant Progress in Revising Palestinian Textbooks" (pdf, 28 kb)
  Seven years after the Palestinian Authority began publishing textbooks for use in West Bank and Gaza schools, there still is no recognition of the State of Israel and no advocacy of peace with it. Instead, the textbooks promote violent struggle, while hateful descriptions of Jews and the West remain prevalent.

• CMIP's Report on the Palestinian Authority in the World Media
  This is a partial list of news articles on CMIP's latest report on the Palestinian schoolbooks.

• "Attitudes toward Jews in schoolbooks issued by the PA Ministry of Endowments & Religious Affairs" - Briefing, Jerusalem, Jan. 8, 2008
  Eradicating incitement from Palestinian schools has been a central theme in negotiations since the Oslo accords. President Bush himself has demanded that educators "Teach values and moral responsibility in schools." In light of President Bush's visit to Israel and the Palestinian Authority, CMIP hosted this briefing to examine religious textbooks for 7th-12th grade students in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
  Supporting documents:
  • Summary (pdf, 66 kb)
  • Presentation Slides (pdf, 466 kb)

Jews, Israel and Peace in the Palestinian Authority Textbooks:
The New Textbooks for Grades 5 and 10
June 2005

This is the fifth in a series of surveys by CMIP on the new school textbooks published by the Palestinian Authority (PA) as part of the general project that began in 2000 to replace all the textbooks that were then in use in the PA schools.

Read the Full Report:
    English (pdf, 2.56 mb)

Read the Report by Chapter:
    Table of Contents (pdf, 22 kb)
    Executive Summary (pdf, 28 kb)
    Introduction (pdf, 21 kb)
    Chapter 1: The Attitude to Other Religions and Their Followers (pdf, 29 kb)
    Chapter 2: The Jews (pdf, 140 kb)
    Chapter 3: Israel (pdf, 1.58 mb)
    Chapter 4: The Conflict (pdf, 259 kb)
    Chapter 5: Peace (pdf, 179 kb)
    Chapter 6: War (pdf, 471 kb)
    Chapter 7: The West (pdf, 283 kb)
    Conclusion (pdf, 31 kb)
    List of Sources (pdf, 15 kb)

Jews, Israel and Peace in the Palestinian Authority Textbooks:
The New Textbooks for Grades 4 and 9
August 2004

This is the fourth in a series of surveys of the Palestinian Authority school textbooks by CMIP. It covers 32 books for grades 4 and 9, as well as a second edition of an atlas approved by the PA.

Read the Full Report:
    English (pdf, 4.82 mb)

Read the Report by Chapter:
    Table of Contents (pdf, 99 kb)
    Executive Summary (pdf, 116 kb)
    Introduction (pdf, 105 kb)
    Chapter 1: Judaism and the Jews (pdf, 569 kb)
    Chapter 2: Israel (pdf, 3.72 mb)
    Chapter 3: The Conflict (pdf, 406 kb)
    Chapter 4: Peace (pdf, 121 kb)
    Chapter 5: Jihad, Martyrdom and Terror (pdf, 121 kb)
    Chapter 6: The West (pdf, 341 kb)
    Conclusion (pdf, 118 kb)
    List of Sources (pdf, 74 kb)

Jews, Israel and Peace in the Palestinian Authority Textbooks:
The New Textbooks for Grades 3 and 8
May 2003

This report examines a newer set of some 35 books in various subjects published by the PA in 2002, mainly for grades 3 and 8.

Read the Full Report:
    English (pdf, 3.39 mb)

Read the Report by Chapter:
    Table of Contents (pdf, 102 kb)
    Executive Summary (pdf, 123 kb)
    Introduction (pdf, 98 kb)
    Chapter 1: Judaism (pdf, 306 kb)
    Chapter 2: The Jews (pdf, 170 kb)
    Chapter 3: Israel and Palestine (pdf, 2.16 mb)
    Chapter 4: Israel's Image (pdf, 404 kb)
    Chapter 5: Jerusalem (pdf, 134 kb)
    Chapter 6: The Refugees (pdf, 107 kb)
    Chapter 7: Tolerance (pdf, 229 kb)
    Chapter 8: Peace (pdf, 216 kb)
    Chapter 9: The Liberation of Palestine (pdf, 98 kb)
    Chapter 10: Jihad and Martyrdom (pdf, 336 kb)
    Chapter 11: Terror (pdf, 158 kb)
    Conclusion (pdf, 102 kb)
    List of Sources (pdf, 98 kb)

Jews, Israel and Peace in the Palestinian Authority Textbooks
and High School Final Examinations
October 2002

This complementary report deals with 14 books, in addition to the 26 high school final examinations in various subjects from the years 2000 and 2002.

Read the Full Report:
    English (pdf, 650 kb)

Read the Report by Chapter:
    Table of Contents (pdf, 22 kb)
    Introduction (pdf, 31 kb)
    Chapter 1: The Jews (pdf, 173 kb)
    Chapter 2: Israel (pdf, 233 kb)
    Chapter 3: Jerusalem (pdf, 132 kb)
    Chapter 4: The Refugees (pdf, 96 kb)
    Chapter 5: Peace, Tolerance, Co-existence (pdf, 56 kb)
    Chapter 6: War, Jihad, Martyrdom (pdf, 80 kb)
    Chapter 7: Terror (pdf, 44 kb)
    Chapter 8: Other Issues (pdf, 149 kb)
    Concluding Remarks (pdf, 32 kb)
    List of Sources (pdf, 28 kb)

Jews, Israel and Peace in Palestinian School Textbooks
November 2001

Jews, Israel and Peace in Palestinian School Textbooks 2000-2001 and 2001-2002. This is the first survey by CMIP of the textbooks published by the Palestinian National Authority.

Read the Full Report:
    English (pdf, 2.45 mb)

Read the Report by Chapter:
    Table of Contents (pdf, 121 kb)
    Executive Summary (pdf, 128 kb)
    Introduction (pdf, 94 kb)
    Chapter 1: The Jews (pdf, 408 kb)
    Chapter 2: Israel (pdf, 1.30 mb)
    Chapter 3: Peace (pdf, 941 kb)
    Conclusion (pdf, 90 kb)
    List of Sources (pdf, 114 kb)