Anti-Israeli incitement found in textbooks of teenage Jerusalem attacker
Dear Friend of Israel,
"God, or victory or martyrdom"
These are the words that 13-year old Palestinian terrorist Muhammad Aliwat left in a note for his mother before last month's terror attack in which he opened fire on a father and son outside the Old City of Jerusalem.
Fortunately, both father and son survived the close-range shooting.
But this attack has once again exposed the awful reality that the school curriculum taught by the Palestinian Authority continues to promote antisemitic propaganda that encourages violence against Israelis.
Researchers from The Institute for Monitoring Peace and Tolerance in School Education found multiple instances of anti-Israeli and antisemitic incitement in textbooks used at the school of the teenage gunman.
One textbook devotes an entire chapter to teaching that martyrdom is a "must" for fighting enemies. Another celebrates suicide attacks in which Palestinians "cut the throats of enemy soldiers" and "put on explosive belts.”
This dangerous propaganda cannot go unanswered. We must continue to work with America's leaders to stand against violent incitement that makes it harder to achieve peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
America should work with the EU and other allies to urge stricter monitoring of the content in textbooks and demand that the Palestinian Authority stop indoctrinating children to hate and kill.
Brian Shankman
Chief Strategy Director for National Affairs
The mission of AIPAC is to encourage and persuade the U.S. government to enact specific policies that create a strong, enduring and mutually beneficial relationship with our ally Israel.