Israeli Palestinian conflict

	Following are three maps indicating the place of “Palestine” in the Arab-Muslim expanse: one taken from a 2 nd grade Palestinian textbook (Map A), the second is a map of the Mediterranean basin published in Jerusalem (by the PA?) a couple of years ago (Map B), and the third was taken from a Palestinian 8 th grade textbook (Map C).

	The characteristics of the maps:
		“Palestine” whose capital is “Al-Quds” (appearing in Palestinian textbooks with the Dome of the Rock at its center) is a single entity, stretching from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean sea. Israel is not mentioned at all .

		“Palestine” borders Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. On the map of the Mediterranean basin there is no political boundary between “Palestine” and Jordan such as exists between “Palestine” and the rest of its neighbors (much like the case of the “map of historic Palestine” in Appendix D).

		A 2 ^nd grade book characterizes the essence of “Palestine” as being Arab and Islamic, and the Palestinian people are an integral part of the Arab Islamic nation .

		On the map of the Mediterranean basin, besides Jerusalem, the cities of Acre, Haifa, Nazareth, Jaffa, Bethlehem, Gaza, and Beersheba also appear (their common denominator – they are perceived by the Palestinians to be Arab-Palestinian in nature, refer to Appendix A). Tel Aviv, Natanya, Ramat Gan, Rishon Lezion, and other predominantly Jewish-Israeli cities do not appear on the map.

	These characteristics are also common in Palestinian textbooks. Thus for example, the students learn that “the Mediterranean region” stretches from the western and southern shores of Turkey through “Bilad al-Sham” or Syria, Lebanon and Palestine (“ Jughrafiyyat al-Bi'aat ” [The Geography of the Environment, i.e. – the Region] for 8 ^th grade, pages 51-52). Gaza is described as “situated on the southern part of the Palestinian seaboard, which stretches along the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, 140 km south-west of Jerusalem, the capital of “Palestine” (“ Al-Mutaala'ah wal-nusus ” [A Reader] part A, for 8 th grade, page 49). The students also learn that Palestine has a long shoreline along the Mediterranean and a short coastline in the Bay of Aqaba”. (“' Ulum al-Sihhah wal-bi'ah ” [Health and Environment Sciences] for 8 th grade, page 131).


	Map A

	Source : “ Al-Tarbiyah al-Wataniyyah ” (Natioal Education) for 2 ^nd grade, page 16, academic year 2001-2002.


	Map B

	Source: a map of the Mediterranean basin printed in Jerusalem a few years ago on a scale of 1:4,000,000 (there is no indication of date or the publisher's name and location. It is possible that this map was published by the PA). Of note is the fact that the map is similar to maps appearing in Arab atlases circulated in the Arab World as teaching material for schools.

	Map C
	Source : “ Jughrafiyyat al-Bia'at ” (Geography of the Invironment, i.e.- the Region) for 8 ^th grade, page 52