German schools said to miss ‘historical complexity’ of Israeli-Arab conflict

Most German history schoolbooks fail to appropriately describe the historical complexity of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and portray Israel mainly as a country in a constant state of conflict, a new Israeli-German report concludes.

According to Haaretz, the report concludes a five-year study during which academics from both countries examined books on history, geography and civics in both countries. The report covered some 150 items, including articles and books taught in high school.

The German team found that Israel is presented in German schoolbooks mostly in the context of conflict, as a warring nation and a nation in a continued state of crisis in the Middle East, while failing to examine the development of Israeli society, Israel’s achievements and its uniqueness among world democracies.

The continued “occupation and settlements” are mentioned in most books as a main obstacle to peace, failing to define Palestinian violence against Israeli civilians as terrorism. The researchers concluded that Israel should not be presented one-dimensionally as part of the Middle East conflict and narrative in which the conflict is portrayed as inevitable and unsolvable should be avoided.