New Jersey Jewish community wants book that teaches “little children to hate” out of the library.
By World Israel News Staff
A children’s book about the alphabet is sparking controversy in Highland Park, New Jersey, reports a local ABC station. Critics say that it promotes anti-Semitism.
The book’s author, Golbarg Bashi, who is Iranian-American, maintains that the book, “P Is for Palestine,” is meant to teach people about Palestinian culture.
The book includes illustrations of Palestinian activities, including protests, says abc7NY.
Members of the Jewish community in Highland Park are campaigning to keep it out of the local library, according to the report.
“It’s a symbol, it says that it’s OK to have books that teach little children to hate,” Rabbi Bernhard Rosenberg said.
It isn’t even “P for Palestine” that is drawing criticism compared to the author’s choice of I for Intifada.
Intifada is widely used to mean uprising and is a term used for multiple waves of Palestinian terror in Israel, including the 2000-2005 Second Intifada in which more than 1,000 people were killed.
Bashi’s works have raised eyebrows in the past, says the ABC station.
She says that “P Is for Palestine” is about pride and not promoting violence. “This is a children’s book about children who basically have no books written about them in English in this country,” Bashi told ABC.
“So people don’t understand what Intifada means, Intifada means resistance,” Bashi told abc7NY. “The Women’s March is Intifada. It’s resistance.”
“It’s anti-Semitic and I’m telling you the Jewish community here is up in arms,” Rosenberg said.
The book has been pulled from the library but is awaiting a final decision from the board of trustees, according to the report.
“It’s being used to teach little children about how great the Palestinians are and we should murder the Jews, that’s the bottom line,” Rosenberg said.
“This is not about me,” Bashi said. “This is about my book, this is about the First Amendment.”
“The debate over the book is bringing the long-standing feelings in the Middle East to Central Jersey,” says the ABC station.