Photo from PxHere. A British textbook was removed for sale when backlash ensued to a passage in the book asking if “the creation of Israel was a long-term cause of the 9/11 terror attacks.”
The question from the book went viral after British pro-Israel activist David Collier tweeted a screenshot of the question on Feb. 19, writing: “How could it be argued that the creation of Israel was a long term cause of the 9/11 attacks? This is ‘Israel is the cause of all the wars in the [Middle East]’ conspiracy poppycock.”
Page 241 of UK KS3 textbook published by @HodderSchools
How could it be argued that the creation of Israel was a long term cause of the 9/11 attacks
This is 'Israel is the cause of all the wars in the ME conspiracy poppycock.
Being handed to students????
(h/t Jewish Chick) pic.twitter.com/cMfjkPvu7P— David Collier (@mishtal) February 19, 2020
The Jewish Chronicle reported that Hodder Education published the book in 2019, which is titled, “Understanding History: Key Stage 3: Britain in the wider world, Roman times — Present.” The book is aimed at teaching students in the 11- to 13-year-old age range.
Hodder Education released a statement on Feb. 20 announcing that it had removed the book for sale over the matter.
“We appreciate the phrasing the question is not as precise as it might have been and we are very sorry for any offense that this has caused,” the statement read. “We have removed the book from sale, we will have the content reviewed and will then reissue a revised version.”
In response to Understanding History: Key Stage 3 textbook pic.twitter.com/WACvbUY81F
— Hodder Education (@HodderSchools) February 20, 2020
The Zionist Federation of the United Kingdom and Ireland thanked Hodder Education in a tweet.
“Such an item is extremely damaging, given the sensitivity of the subject and the risk of encouraging anti-Semitism,” the federation wrote.
The organization noted in a follow-up tweet that Hodder Education should also address the section on the same page stating that Israel “took more land” after the 1948 War of Independence, pointing out that Israel didn’t acquire land until after the 1967 war.
Thank you @HodderSchools.
Such an item is extremely damaging, given the sensitivity of the subject and the risk of encouraging Antisemitism, and breaches sections 406 and 407 of the Education Act 1996.
Please also note that the preceding paragraph contains erroneous information.— Zionist Federation (@ZionistFed) February 20, 2020
@HodderSchools please refer to letter sent earlier today, and note the other disturbingly erroneous content preceding the 'Reflect' item.
However, thank you for your action in this regard. pic.twitter.com/ktikEDIYsT— Zionist Federation (@ZionistFed) February 20, 2020
Marcus Sheff, the CEO of the textbook watchdog group Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-se), told The Jerusalem Post that the 9/11 question “is the kind of conspiratorial nonsense and delegitimization of Israel we are used to seeing in Middle East textbooks, not in British educational materials.” He added that “more care needs to be taken in reviewing teaching materials before they are published.”
Collier tweeted on Feb. 20, “It shouldn’t be down to British Jews to have to go through every reference to Israel in UK school textbooks — to find students are being driven towards anti-Semitic conspiracy theories or fed blatant ahistorical b–s—. THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING IN THE FIRST PLACE.”
It shouldn't be down to British Jews to have to go through every reference to Israel in UK school textbooks – to find students are being driven towards antisemitic conspiracy theories or fed blatant ahistorical b**shit.
THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING IN THE FIRST PLACE.
— David Collier (@mishtal) February 20, 2020
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