Updated: LA Times Confuses Palestinian, Israeli Textbooks

By Published On: February 5, 2013

Derech hamilim 4.jpg
Derech Hamilim 4, the Israeli book which discusses a Muslim Arab who helped an Israeli soldier. The LA Times wrongly reported that a Palestinian textbook mentioned this case

In an article today about the new Israeli-Palestinian textbook study (which itself appears to have some methodology problems), the Los Angeles Times’ Edmund Sanders erroneously reports:

A fourth-grade Palestinian textbook includes a story of a Palestinian who helped rescue a wounded Israeli soldier because, he says in the text, it was “my obligation as a Muslim Arab.” (“A textbook case of bias for both Israelis, Palestinians,” emphasis added)

In fact, this positive example of a Muslim Arab helping an Israeli soldier appears in an Israeli textbook, not a Palestinian textbook. The name of the Hebrew Israeli textbook book is Derech Hamilim, Book Four. Under the heading “Examples of positive descriptions of the acts of the other from Israeli books,” Page 21 of the study details:

Another example: “‘I saw it as my obligation as a Muslim Arab to offer help to an Israeli soldier injured in an accident’ said Abdullah Yusef Yunes… who offered help and drove an Israeli soldier in his vehicle” (State secular schools, Through the Words: Book D [ דרך המילי?: ספר ד’. כנרת ], 2009, Grade 4, Part 4, p.203, LP1892).

CAMERA has requested a correction. Stay tuned for an update.

Feb. 6 Update: CAMERA Prompts LA Times Correction on Israeli Textbook

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