No excuse

Why does Jerusalem Post columnist Gershon Baskin have little to no credibility among readers?

Take his op-ed “Back to School Textbook Reform,” from September 5 as an example.

On page five of the same edition is an article (“Palestinian textbooks full of incitement, study finds) reporting on the findings of IMPACT-se, a research institute based at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, regarding the content of Palestinian Authority and UNWRA textbooks used in the 2019-2020 curriculum.

According to the article “The findings convey a horrific reality, where violent acts, hatred and even ‘martyrdom’ are not only justified but encouraged.” It further states: “The study found that all textbooks in social studies, history, Arabic and national education for grades two to 12 contained problematic content, defined by IMPACT-se as “violence or incitement to violence; hatred of the other; and radical, inappropriate or disturbing content.”

Applying characteristic pollyannish naiveté, Baskin whitewashes the harsh reality of Palestinian textbooks. He makes no mention of their hate and violence-filled content.

The worst he says about them is: “Today, there is nothing in Palestinian textbooks that teaches the students something objective or positive about the Israeli people with whom they are in conflict, and hope to someday live in peace.”

His recommendations for what should be taught in both Palestinian and Israeli curricula are valid, but this is no excuse for eliding the painful truth about Palestinian education. ARDIE GELDMAN Efrat The writer is the director of iTalkIsrael.