Caption for photo: A page from a public library book, Baba What Does my Name Mean? The girl says “I am delighted to take you across mountains, hills, deserts, and plains. All part of Palestine’s unique terrain”–but she is looking at a map of Israel, not the mythical “Palestine.” Ancient Hebrew names are replaced with Arabic ones. For example, Jerusalem is only “Al-Quds”, Jericho is “Areeha” and Hebron is “Al-Khalil”
The indoctrination of our youth against Israel doesn’t stop when school’s out. This summer, kids across the country can go to their local libraries and find fake history about Israel along with demonization of Jews. While we are hard pressed to find materials for adults that are not biased against Israel, the youth sections are worse. There are plenty of books that erase Israel and demonize Jews such as Baba, What Does My Name Mean?, We are Palestinian: A Celebration of Culture and Tradition, or Young Palestinians Speak, Living Under Occupation. These books are also found in libraries across the US, including Los Angeles, Boston, New York and Chicago.
Books for kids that show the Israeli point of view are rare or simply not found at all. Part of the issue is that tiny Israel is at war and there is little time to write about their plight, however there are millions upon millions of anti-Israel activists who have time and resources to write about “Palestinians,” whether it’s accurate or not.
We brought this issue before the public library administrators in Chapel Hill. We followed library protocol to detail our specific concerns regarding erasure of Jewish history and more. We were told that the books meet collection criteria so nothing would be done. Our article in the Jewish News Syndicate describes our findings.
What can be done?
One option is to recommend that libraries purchase books which provide balance and accuracy.
For children’s books, the only one we found that expresses what Israeli children are going through during the current war is:
Under the Rocket’s Glow, by Roman Sandler – Click here to buy
For Adults, we recommend:
The Palestinian Delusion, by Robert Spencer
On Democracies and Death Cults, Israel and the Future of Civilization, by Douglas Murray
and for a reference text: The Legacy of Islamic Antisemitism, by Andrew Bostom, MD
Action: If you live in Chapel Hill, please use this link to suggest some of these titles for the library to purchase. If you live anywhere else in North Carolina or in any other state in the US, please check with your local library for ways to request these materials and others that accurately reflect Jewish history and current events.
