NewtonschoolsfailtoensurefactualMiddleEasteducationalmaterial

July1,2013
ByStevenStotsky/JNS.org
ControversycontinuestosimmerintheupscaleBostonsuburbofNewtonovertheuseofbiasedand
substandardinstructionalmaterialstoteachstudentsabouttheIsraeliPalestinianconflict.Recently,the
townsparednoexpenserenovatingoneofitshighschoolsatacostof$200million.ButNewtons
commitmenttoitsschoolshasnottranslatedintoensuringthatfactuallyaccuratematerialisusedto
teachstudentsabouttheMiddleEast.

Thecontroversybegantwoyearsagowhenaparent,lookingoverhisdaughtersreadingassignment,
discoveredahandoutthataccusedIsraelisoldiersofabusingandmurderingimprisonedPalestinian
women.TheselectioncamefromatextbookcalledTheArabWorldStudiesNotebook.Thistextbook
hadalreadybeenexposedforitsadvocacyofIslamandformakingludicrousclaimsforexample,that
MuslimexplorersdiscoveredAmericaandthatIroquoisIndianshadMuslimnames.Theoutcrythat
followedpromptedtheschooladministrationtoremoveit.
Butthatturnedouttobejustthetipoftheiceberg.Amorewidespreadproblemwasrevealedwhenit
waslearnedthataleaderintheBoycott,DivestmentandSanctionsmovementagainstIsraelhadgivena
seminartohistoryteachersonteachingabouttheMiddleEast.Soon,moreevidenceofinaccurateand
antiIsraelmaterialsusedintheschoolscametolight.
LastNovember,inanattempttoheadoffthecontroversy,thevicechairmanoftheNewtonSchool
CommitteepublishedanopedinlocalpapersofferingreassurancethatantiIsraelmaterialswerenot
systematicallyusedinNewtonschools.Hedenouncedtownresidentswhohadraisedtheissuefor
engaginginMcCarthyesquetacticsandadded,Doesitreallysoundplausiblethatforyearsvirtually
everyonehasunknowinglybeenthevictimoftheteachingofsuchhorriblematerial?
Sadly,themostrecentbatchofhandoutsusedinthe10thgradehonorsclassoffersnewevidenceofa
continuingproblem.ItcontainsatimelinetitledPOV:HistoryoftheIsraeliPalestinianConflictthat
purportstocoverbothAnIsraeliPerspectiveandAPalestinianPerspective.Itwascompiledin
2001byayounginternwithnoapparentexpertiseonthesubject.
TheauthorthankedProfessorMarkLeVineofUniversityofCalifornia,Irvineforreviewingthe
document.LeVineisanagitatoragainstIsraelwhopublishesontheEnglishwebsiteofAlJazeera.Ina
guestcolumninTheHuffingtonPostonJan.13,2009,helikenedHamassfightagainstIsraelinGaza
totheJewishuprisingintheWarsawGhetto.LeVinecontendedthatIsraelishaveanaddictionto
violenceandsufferfromcollectivementalillness.
ThetimelineignoresthereligiousandideologicalcomponentofArabrejectionoftheJewishstate.For
example,theonlyreasongivenfortheArabrejectionoftheUnitedNationspartitionresolutionin

November1947isthattheArabsconsideredtheproposalunrepresentativeofthedemographic
distributionofJewsandArabslivinginPalestine.Thereisnodiscussionofthereligionsanctioned
rejectionoftheJewishstate,orofPalestinianleaderHajAminAlHusseinisuseofreligiousandracial
bigotrytoinflameArabsentimentagainsttheJews.
AnaccompanyingclassdiscussionguidecalledClassnotesforIsraelPalistine(sic)(Student&Teacher
Discussion)alsodismissesthereligiouscomponent,stating,Thisisaconflictoverland.Whatlies
behindthedownplayingofthereligiouscomponentisanattempttocastIsraelasaneocolonialstate
usurpingthelandoftheindigenouspopulation.Thisnarrative,fashionableamongantiIsraelacademics,
designatestheArabsasindigenouspeoplewhiledenyingthatstatustotheJewswhosecontinuous
historyonthelandgoesmuchfurtherback.
Theclassguideasserts,Jewishnationalism(Zionism)andPalestiniannationalismseekessentiallythe
samegoal:astatethatcanprovidesecurity,economicopportunity,andaconnectiontoa
land.Thisfeignedevenhandedapproachpromotesafalsehood,forboththePalestineLiberation
Organization(PLO)andHamascharterscallforthedismantlingoftheJewishstate.Anaccurate
recountingofPalestiniannationalismshowsthatoppositiontotheJewishstatecamefirst,whilethe
demandforaPalestinianArabstateemergedonlylater.
Newtonstudentsshouldreadtheworksofdistinguishedscholars.Instead,studentsareexposedtothe
dogmapeddledbyantiIsraelactivistsatteacherworkshops,tofringeacademicsortoerrorpronepages
pulledfromtheInternet.OnesuchhandoutfromawebsitecalledFlashpointsidentifiedJerusalemas
thecapitalofPalestine(anonexistentstate)andincorrectlylabeledTelAvivasthecapitalofIsrael(its
actuallyJerusalem).
ThePOVtimelinetypifiesthisagendadrivenapproach.Studentsaretoldthatin1948,Fightingbreaks
outbetweenthenewlydeclaredStateofIsraelanditsArabneighbors,andnotthatthesurrounding
ArabstatesattackedtheJewishstateonthedayafteritwasformallyrecognizedbyaresolutionofthe
UnitedNations.
ThecarefulwordingofUnitedNationsSecurityCouncilResolution242tonotrequireIsraelto
withdrawfromalloftheterritoriescapturedinthe1967SixDayWarisdescribedasonlytheEnglish
languageversion.Thehandoutcontendsthatalteredversionsinotherlanguagesareequallyvalid.
StudentsaretoldthatrightwingIsraeliscalltheWestBankJudeaandSamariawithoutbeing
informedthatthelabelWestBankoriginatedwiththeJordanianoccupationfrom1949to1967.
Palestinianterrorismisdownplayed,whilerareinstancesofIsraeliviolencearehighlighted.Thefirst
terroristactinsideIsraelandtheWestBankspecificallymentionedisthe1994attackonPalestinian
worshipersbyBaruchGoldstein.Themurdersof37IsraelisinthecoastalroadmassacreinMarch1978
andof26IsraelischoolchildrenandteachersinMaalotinMay1974arenotmentioned.Studentsare
nottoldthatwhileGoldsteinisreviledinIsrael,Palestinianperpetratorsofterrorattacks,liketerrorist
DalalMughrabi,areheldupasrolemodelstobeemulatedbyPalestinianchildren.
StudentsaretoldthattheOsloAccordsmeantthatthetwosideswerenolongerclaimingthattheother
didnothavetherighttoexistasastateofpeoplesonthatland.Studentsarenotinformedthatatthe

FatahPartyCongressin2009participantscheeredasPalestinianAuthorityofficialsvowedneverto
recognizetheJewishStateandreaffirmedtheircommitmenttoarmedstruggle.
Acompleteandaccurateaccountoftheconflictshouldnotbesacrificedonthealtarofevenhandedness
andtherefusaltotakesides.WithalltheupheavalintheMiddleEastanditsimpactonAmerica,parents
unfortunatelycannotcountonschoolsandtownofficialstoensurethataccurateandqualityinstruction
occurs.ParentsneedtomaketheirvoicesheardsothattheirchildrenarentfedPollyannaishrevisionsof
reality.
StevenStotskyisaseniorresearcherforthe65,000member,BostonbasedCommitteeforAccuracyin
MiddleEastReportinginAmerica(CAMERA).Anyopinionsexpressedabovearesolelyhisown.