Middle East

Book Teaches Muslims to Hate Israel

By David Brody
CBN News

February 16, 2007

CWNews.com – WASHINGTON - Palestinian Media Watch presented its findings in a report today and the group had a big name to announce it: presidential front-runner Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y.

The images are striking. Palestinian school children caught on tape espousing anti-Israel rhetoric.

Palestinian Media Watch said this is not uncommon. Their report looks at a new 12th grade textbook funded by the Palestinian Authority. It has caught the attention of Sen. Clinton.

"These textbooks do not give Palestinian children an education," Sen. Clinton said. "They give them an indoctrination."

The new textbooks deny the persecution of the Jews during the Holocaust. They say that Israel does not exist and calls the relationship with the West a "clash of civilizations."

Inside you'll find quotes like this: "The zionist gangs stole Palestine.and established the state of Israel." The entire textbook is filled with hateful rhetoric.

"It is disturbing on a human level, it is disturbing to me as a mother, it is disturbing to me as a United State Senator because it basically profoundly poisons the mind of these children," Clinton said.

On the Iraq war, the story goes like this: "The Iraqis did not surrender to this occupation, but succeeded in organizing themselves, and the brave resistance to liberate Iraq began." The textbooks also leave out some key information.

"The Palestinians felt it was important to mention that Israel is getting economic aid from the United states. But they left out the $1.5 billion that the Palestinian Authority has received," Itamar Marcus of Palestinian Media Watch said.

Amid the backdrop of the press conference, there's a subplot here: With Hillary Clinton running for president, is she just trying to court favor with the pro-Israel Jewish community? Or is this truly a heartfelt issue?

Her record suggests she's very much pro-Israel. Yet Clinton didn't endear herself to Israelis in 1999 when she hugged Yassar Arafat's wife shortly after comments Arafat made on how Israel poisoned arab babies.

But since then, for the most part, pro-Israel lobbyists have embraced her, citing her continued backing of pro-Israel bills, her tough talk against Hamas and Hezbollah, and her belief that Iran must not become a nuclear power.

"We stand with Israel, we guarantee Israel's security," Clinton said. "That is a policy that will never change. I will continue to do that in my current position and hopefully starting in 2009 from The White House."

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