The Portrayal of Arabs in Hebrew Children's Literature

Abstract

Commercial Hebrew children's literature published in Israel provides a portrayal of the Arab character which is a reflection of Zionist perceptions of Arabs in general, and Palestinians in particular. Such a portrayal of Arabs has not been limited to Israeli Jews alone but has also been transmitted to, and accepted by, a large segment of world Jewry and international public opinion, especially in the West. This portrayal of Arabs has been addressed in a number of books, particularly Edward Said's Orientalism. As a colonial settler movement, Zionism realized the importance of portraying the Arab character in a negative light and of depreciating Arab rights in order to justify Zionist actions in Palestine. The Zionist movement has been largely successful in shaping international views of the Arab character. Therefore, the extent to which commercial Hebrew children's literature affects the moral and social attitudes in Israel should be carefully considered. The books examined for this study, listed in the bibliograhy, provide important clues about the perceptions in Israel of non-Jews, war and peace, and various social and ideological issues. Hebrew children's literature cannot, of course, be held responsible for the discriminatory policies of Israeli governments since the establishment of