The Arab-Israeli Conflict in Israeli History Textbooks, 1948-2000

by Podeh, Elie

• ISBN13: 9780897897556
• ISBN10: 0897897552
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-10-30
• Publisher: Praeger Pub Text

Summary

Israeli history textbooks in the past contained many biases, distortions, and omissions concerning the depiction of Arabs and the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Today these misrepresentations are gradually being corrected. This study encourages the depiction of a balanced portrait in all textbooks. By reviewing curricula and textbooks used in the Israeli educational system since the establishment of Israel, the author assesses the impact of Zionist historiography and the Zeitgeist on the portrayal of Arabs in textbooks. The study unravels the biases, distortions, omissions, and stereotypes through the analysis of several major historical events such as the 1948 war, the refugee question, the 1967 war, and the peace process.

Author Biography

Elie Podeh is Senior Lecturer, Department of Islam and Middle Eastern Studies, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
The Study of School Textbooks	1	(20)
Textbook Research in the West	1	(6)
The Present Study	7	(14)
Attitudes in the Israeli Education System toward Teaching the Arab-Israeli Conflict	21	(54)
Attitudes toward Teaching History	21	(5)
Attitudes toward Teaching the Arab-Israeli Conflict	26	(49)
Teaching the Arab-Israeli Conflict: Case Studies	75	(68)
The Cultural Heritage of Islam	75	(2)
The Ottoman Empire and the Image of the Turks	77	(3)
The First Aliyah Period (1882-1902)	80	(3)
The Second Aliyah Period (1904-14)	83	(3)
The First World War Agreements	86	(5)
The British Mandate in Palestine (1920-48)	91	(11)
The 1947-48 War	102	(8)
The 1956 War	110	(3)
The 1969 War	113	(3)
The Post-1967 Period	116	(2)
The Arab Minority in Israel	118	(25)
Conclusions	143	(12)
Epilogue	155	(2)
Appendices	157	(22)
Bibliography	179	(18)
Index	197