Avichay Adraee’s Bias: Smearing Arab Education and Ignoring Israeli Extremism

Avichay Adraee, spokesman for the Israeli occupation army, posted a video on his official X account on January 9, claiming to oppose raising children with ideologies of violence and terrorism. He argued that such an upbringing is not just an educational failure but a humanitarian crime. Adraee questioned how a child, too young to understand the meaning of life, could express such views and how instilling hatred in children could serve any cause.

Adraee's post was part of his criticism of Mini Mafia, a Lebanese TV program recently aired on Al Jadeed, which sparked controversy in Lebanon. The show featured children discussing Hezbollah, with one boy identifying himself as a young fighter who aspired to battle and achieve martyrdom.

It should be noted that this is not the first time Adraee has spread such claims. He previously shared a video accusing Gaza’s education system of promoting terrorism, violence, and extremism. "While children's education around the world focuses on love, humanity, the sanctity of life, and critical thinking," he said, "Gaza’s system is different. Teachers, who are Hamas activists, indoctrinate the next generation with Hamas ideology, making terrorism, violence, and extremism defining features of education under Hamas rule."

Despite Adraee’s stated opposition to raising children on violence—citing a video condemned by Lebanese authorities and prompting an apology from the channel—numerous studies and reports have exposed the indoctrination of Israeli children. Research, including a study by Egyptian writer Ahmed El-Zlatt, has documented how Israeli children are taught racism and hatred toward Arabs and Muslims.

How Hebrew Literature Shapes Hostility in Israeli Children

In a 2007 study titled "Ideological Influences in Hebrew Children's Literature: An Interpretive Approach," Egyptian scholar Ahmed El-Zlatt examined how Hebrew literature shapes Israeli children's perceptions. He argued that Israeli children are conditioned from a young age to hate and reject Arabs, fostering violence, racism, fanaticism, and hostility.

El-Zlatt contended that childhood should be free from military and religious indoctrination, yet Israel’s educational system imposes ideological narratives on young minds. He claimed that the core philosophy of the global Zionist movement is to reinforce racial and religious superiority while inciting hatred and aggression. "Zionists carefully ensure that their literature nurtures children with ideas and imagery that serve their ideology," he wrote. "Hebrew children's literature weaves social and religious themes into stories, shaping young minds to fit Israel’s ideological agenda."

In contrast, he argued, Arab children's literature promotes patriotism and resistance against occupation without endorsing racial, ethnic, or religious extremism.

El-Zlatt cited Israeli writer Amos Oz’s novel Somewhere, in which Oz wrote, "No Israeli sees any reason to respect an Arab or acknowledge his rights." According to El-Zlatt, Oz—like many Israeli poets and novelists—viewed the elimination of Arabs as essential to advancing the Zionist project.

He also examined how Israeli literature systematically instills ideology in children by glorifying Zionism while vilifying Arabs and Muslims. He noted that Arab characters in Hebrew literature are often depicted as cowardly, unintelligent, and deceitful, while Israelis are portrayed as superior in intelligence and strength. He pointed out that Israeli children's literature reinforces the belief that Palestine belongs exclusively to Jews, frequently referencing the biblical phrase, "If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill," to cement claims to the land.

El-Zlatt argued that Hebrew literature intertwines emotional conditioning with military training, preparing children for conflict with Arabs. He referenced a widely promoted Zionist slogan adopted by the Israeli military: "If someone comes planning to kill you, you should hurry to kill him first." He also pointed to a song by Israeli children’s author Hazi Lapin, which includes the lyrics:

"We will strike our enemies...
In the darkness with all our might...
For we find no pleasure...
Except in the pleasure of crime."

Lapin, known for his children’s books, openly justified instilling hostility toward Arabs. He once wrote, "We live in an era of conflict with the Arabs... in what can be called ‘fields of blood.’ That is why we must avoid writing beautiful stories about butterflies and flowers. That would only mislead our children. What happens when war comes, and a child is reading a story about a singing bird? He will lose confidence and collapse. We cannot allow such deception. I want to create a generation that will avenge me—a generation of hundreds of thousands of readers who eagerly consume my books."

Lapin is not the only Israeli writer accused of promoting hatred. Others, such as Yael Dayan, have also contributed to this discourse. In one of her stories, a father tells his son as he steps out of a tank-shaped vehicle, "Kill without hesitation... Don’t be afraid... What spills from an Arab is not blood."

Similarly, Israeli poet Ephraim Sidon wrote in one of his verses:

"All the women in Sidon and Tyre...
All the mothers, all the pregnant ones...
All the elderly and widows...
We are coming to punish you...
To take our revenge."

In his poem The Little Girl in the Red Dress, Sidon portrayed Arab suffering with indifference, writing:

"You ask me why...
If your father weren’t a stubborn militant...
And your cursed brother not a tank hunter...
Perhaps, little girl,
You wouldn’t have had to die."

Israeli Nurit Peled-Elhanan Criticizes Racist Content in Israeli Children’s Media

In the videos he posts on his social media accounts, Avichay Adraee claims to support raising children with values of humanity and love, rejecting the promotion of hatred and animosity in young people. He asserts that Arabs and Hamas are behind this, presenting it as a deceptive strategy to tarnish the image of Arabs and obscure Israel’s crimes. He argues that Israel is working to create a generation fueled by hatred, animosity, and sectarianism, particularly against Arabs and Palestinians.

This perspective aligns with that of Nurit Peled-Elhanan, an Israeli linguist, professor of language and education at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and human rights activist. In her book "Palestine in Israeli School books: Ideology and Propaganda in Education," she explains that the ideological foundation of Israeli textbooks instills the idea of historical rights to "Eretz Yisrael" (the Land of Israel) and portrays Arabs as a threat, emphasizing their hatred for Jews. These textbooks suggest that Arabs have 21 countries, while Israelis have only one. They also present Palestinians as a demographic problem that could grow into a threat unless controlled, and claim that Palestinians in the occupied territories pose a constant threat that must be suppressed, "or they will slaughter us." Peled-Elhanan also highlights the way Israeli textbooks justify Israeli massacres of Palestinians.

Peled-Elhanan points out that many wonder how innocent Jewish children can turn into monsters just by wearing military uniforms. She believes the answer lies in education, which led her to investigate how Israeli textbooks depict Palestinians.

Amid the Israeli war on Gaza, many questions have been raised about Israel’s ability to commit horrific atrocities. In an article titled "How Israeli Education Serves the Occupation and Genocide in Gaza," Dr. Anna Saif, a researcher specializing in colonial discourse, argues that Israel’s institutions—including its media, religious bodies, and military—have fostered generations that lack empathy for Palestinians. She emphasizes that the most insidious aspect of this indoctrination is Israel’s education system, which starts in kindergarten and continues through high school, ultimately preparing Israeli youth to become soldiers who are sent to confront Palestinians.

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