The Morgan Library Erases Israel
Above is the sign for the exhibit of the winners of theThe Morgan Book Project. The program brings in 3rd-12th grade New York City public schools teachers. The site describes it as "a free extended learning program in which the Morgan’s education staff collaborates with New York City public school teachers to implement curriculum in their classrooms based on traditional methods of book production."
While some of the student work is indeed impressive, especially for 5th grade, a submission from a ninth grader in the High School of Telecommunications Arts and Technology is quite another story. It appears students in that school are taught anti-Israel propaganda rather than basic history and geography. As you see from the picture of the cover juxtaposed next to the map of Israel that shows the outline of the Gaza strip, "Life in Gaza" shows all of Israel as if it were the map of Gaza. The Gaza strip is nothing like that distinctive shape bordered by the river and sea that those who long for a Judenfrei Middle East love to reference.
Is it possible that Ghaydaa would dare to write about life in Gaza without even knowing what Gaza looks like? Sure, it is. Facts don't matter when you're upholding a narrative that has been spoonfed to you by teachers with an agenda. Both geographic and historical context go out the window.
Maybe it was chosen for artistic rather than factual merit, you may argue in the Morgan's defense. Well, see the pages for yourself. If you go in, compare it with the far more beautifully rendered and clearer writing of far younger students. The mastery of both drawing and writing here is definitely not impressive at that grade level, and is even inferior to what fifth graders produced. 
The nearly illegible handwriting makes this very difficult to read -- even if it weren't under glass. The story seems to be about the poor victimized journalist whose family must move when Israel warns the people in Gaza to evacuate to not be in the bombing zone.
We see people drawn with wounds and bleeding. Are these the hostages that such journalists have held prisoner for months in their home? Or are they the ones that merely went along for the ride on October 7th while Hamas and willing civilians carried out unspeakable atrocities while murdering 1200+, wounding thousands of others, and taking over 250 people (including Thai migrants, elderly people, numerous women and children) hostage. Over 150 of those hostages have yet to be returned even 9 months later. Among those are 4 year-old Ariel and 9-month-old Kfir Bibas -- now held captive for longer than he's lived free -- if he even is still alive. We have no way of knowing because the Red Cross has not lifted a finger to check for proof of life or to see to it that the hostages are getting food and essential medicine.
None of that context is within that "Life in Gaza," that pretends that the people there are the only ones suffering. It ignores the October 7 attack, the unrelenting rockets that have not let up, and the refusal to release hostages. This would be like the Germans declaring they are suffering in the bombing of Dresden and the Allies should be stopped while ignoring who started the conflict with barbaric war crimes.
Across the globe, antisemitic attacks have increased by over 100% since October. The hatred that spurs it is fanned by the Hamas-supporting kind of work that this student project manifests. Jews have not just been harassed but physically attacked and even killed in the name of "Gaza".
If the people who manage the book project wanted to touch on the conflict for the sake of history, they should have also carried the other side of the story with a book from a student about "Life in Sderot" or even "Life in Northern Israel" -- both areas that had to be evacuated because they were under constant bombardment from terrorists. Those facts don't fit that narrative of Israel as aggressor and the deliberate denial of Jew as victims.
As I do have journalistic ethics, I expressed my concerns to the contact for the book project: schools@themorgan.org This is what came back.
Can you imagine getting that dismissive "no comment" response if the work displayed had erased any other nation identified with a religious minority? I can't. But as I said, it's become trendy to express hatred for Jews openly and with a sense of virtue -- so long as the code words "Israel" or "Zionist" are put in place of "Jew."
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