Anti-Israel Propaganda Insinuated Into Toronto Schools

Posted: 4/10/2010 2:19:00 PM
Author: Richard Shulman
Source: This article originally appeared in the New York Examiner on March 27, 2010.

Anti-Israel Propaganda Insinuated Into Toronto Schools
by Richard Shulman

The Toronto District School Board is not anti-Israel. It recently banned the anti-Israel hate-fest, called “Israel Apartheid Week,” from its schools. Nevertheless, vicious anti-Israel propaganda has been insinuated into Toronto schools.

The Ontario Library Association and some teachers initiated inclusion of a book, The Shepherd’s Granddaughter, on the recommended reading list for grades 7 and 8. A parent brought to the attention of B’nai B’rith Canada that the work of fiction is one-sided and defames the Jewish state.

B’nai B’rith Canada advised the Ontario Minister of Education of the consequences of such propaganda. "This is not just a matter of political differences with Israeli policy. A young girl, who admitted to having Jewish friends, recently reviewed The Shepherd's Granddaughter on a popular book-review website and stated that reading this book made her want to 'go to the West Bank and kill Israelis.' Clearly, this propaganda has no place in our classrooms and is against Canadian values."

“In 2006, similar concerns were raised about another anti-Israel book approved by various school boards titled Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak. Both books are published by Groundwood Books (House of Anansi Press).” (IMRA, 3/20 ).

This is not a matter of book censorship. Totalitarian ideologues are taking advantage of children. They are presenting false and misleading propaganda against Candian public school goals, not giving children the facts, not letting them hear the other side, and not acknowledging what they are doing.

Librarians can perform a great civic duty, but some years ago, the American association of librarians* became ideological in favor of the Palestinian Arabs. Perhaps liberals are going over the deep end into totalitarian values as formerly some did into fellow-traveling for the Soviets. Other liberals retained genuine liberal values and were anti-Soviet and pro-American.

*The author is referring to the American Library Association.