Sir, – John O'Brien presents a litany of alleged abuses by Israel's government on the rights of Palestinian children (Letters, September 9th). While no right-minded person can deny that life is not easy for Palestinian children living in the West Bank and in Gaza, here in Ireland little is known of the educational system itself.
However, freely available studies containing English translations of the Palestinian school curriculum and its associated textbooks reveal disturbing insights into the way their youth are taught. Instead of filling young impressionable minds with the benefits of peace and setting out ways to achieve the internationally favoured two-state solution, for many years much of the school material supported by United Nations Relief and Works Agency and financed in part by Irish taxpayers contains messages of jihad and martyrdom.
Since these facts are well known and easily verified, why does our Government choose to ignore such unacceptable practices? – Yours, etc,
DAVID M
ABRAHAMSON,
Glenageary,
Co Dublin.