CANADIAN LIBRARY RECOMMENDS BOOK ADVOCATING KILLING ISRAELIS

Suicide bombing endorsed in kids book (JTA)
The Ontario Library Association refused to drop from its recommended list a book that includes Palestinian children endorsing suicide bombing. Palestinian and Israeli children speak about suicide bombings, anti-Semitism, guns and soldiers in “Three Wishes,” by Deborah Ellis.

“In our eyes, the book is perfectly good and we stand by our selection committee and the rights of children to read this book,” said Larry Moore, the association’s executive director. The Canadian Jewish Congress asked for the book to be removed from a list of recommending reading for 8-11 year-olds, saying it does not provide young readers with enough context.

“They speak about suicide bombing and killing Israelis as suitable choices to make and as acts worthy of emulating,” said Len Rudner, the CJC’s national director of community relations. A Palestinian girl discusses her sister, a suicide bomber, as a martyr in paradise and suggests she will follow in her footsteps.

A Palestinian boy says, “Killing an Israeli will make me feel glad. It will make me feel strong.”
Only one school board, the York District board just north of Toronto, has pulled the book from the list, while many others have declined to do so.