Weekend long read

1) At the ITIC Dr Arnon Groiss documents the portrayal of ‘Israel, Jews and Peace in Palestinian Authority Schoolbooks and Teachers’ Guides’.

“This document is aimed at summarizing the contents of the Palestinian Authority’s schoolbooks and teachers’ guides, as far as the conflict with Israel is concerned, from 2013 up to this day. It is based on the examination of close to 400 schoolbooks published between 2013-2020 and over a hundred of teachers’ guides published mostly in 2018 […]. These schoolbooks are in use in the Palestinian Authority’s territories in Judea and Samaria, in the territories under Hamas’ control in the Gaza Strip, and in most schools in East Jerusalem. Their use is mandatory in all Palestinian private schools and in the schools operated by UNRWA.”

2) Nadav Shragai discusses ‘Jerusalem’s Changing Demographics’ at the JCPA.

“About 220,000 Jews currently live in “East Jerusalem,” which in reality lies north, south, and east of the city’s old jurisdiction, in areas added to the city in 1967. The proportion of Jews in these areas consists of 39 percent of the population there. However, since the 2000s, there has been a decline in the proportion of Jews in these territories, which in 1996 stood at 46 percent and today, decreased to 39 percent. […]

At the end of 2018, 919,400 people lived in Jerusalem, twice the population of Tel Aviv. In 2018, 555,800 Jews (62 percent) and 349,600 Arabs (38 percent) lived in the city, 96 percent of whom were Muslims, and 4 percent Christians.”

3) At the INSS Yoel Guzansky and Ofir Winter take a look at ‘A New Approach to Jews in Arab States’.

“The regimes in Egypt and the Gulf states are trying to earn an image of tolerance toward Judaism. The trend is evident in declarations by Muslim clerics, television productions during Ramadan, and the renovation and construction of synagogues. These expressions of tolerance reflect an instrumentalist approach by the regimes, joining deep social processes that support promotion of the values of openness and multiculturalism. Despite the dualism in Egypt and the Gulf states of a positive attitude toward Judaism alongside belligerence toward Israel, the discourse of tolerance contributes to strengthening the concept of the Jews as belonging to the regional fabric, and in the future it may even help warm relations between the peoples and countries of the region and Israel.”

4) Arsen Ostrovsky and Richard Kemp analyse the language used to describe the as yet theoretical application of Israeli civilian law to parts of Area C at the JNS.

“Words matter. They drive narratives. They influence policy. And they shape people’s perceptions.

The current debate over whether Israel’s proposed actions in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank)—in accordance with U.S President Donald Trump’s “peace to prosperity” plan—amount to “annexation” or the “application of sovereignty” is a prime example.

Much of the international community, NGO world and foreign press, even some in the Jewish community, have been referring to this aspect of the plan as “annexation.”

This is partly a function of naiveté and a lack of understanding about what the term “annexation” actually connotes. But there are those who know the distinction—and its implications—very well, and are using it to create a dangerous perception: that Israel has no entitlement to Judea and Samaria, and therefore would be committing some illegal act under international law.”

More from Hadar Sela
BBC promotes Palestinian lawyer’s conspiracy theory
In Britain it is not unknown for the police to treat incidents...
Read More
Join the Conversation

1 Comment

  1. says: Paul Leslie

    ‘”Much of the international community, NGO world and foreign press, even some in the Jewish community, have been referring to this aspect of the plan as “annexation.”’ Not “some in the Jewish community”, many – unfortunately.

    I have seen several examples of this in the Israeli and non-Israeli Jewish press.

Leave a comment
Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *