Protests by the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC) forced the Canadian province of British Columbia to remove from its website a “loaded bomb” question that illustrates how anti-Zionism infiltrates into the educational system that often tries to rewrite history.
A question prepared for a history examination in the province was posted on the website as part of a practice test until the CJC got wind of it. Students were asked to identify the group referred to in the following statement: "They have been fighting to regain a homeland since they were driven out in 1948. Some have lived their entire lives in refugee camps. Forty years later, Israel still refuses to recognize their right to exist as a nation."
The students were offered four choices: Jews, Iranians, Egyptians or Palestinians. Romy Ritter, the Pacific regional director of the CJC, pointed out that all three-sentences in the question presented a “one-sided view” that is full of historical inaccuracies, and Education Minister Margaret MacDiarmid promptly removed the question after complaints.
The Vancouver Province wrote in an editorial, “Rather than ask a question that requires no interpretation of facts (for example: In what year was the Six-Day War fought?), the ministry offered [a] loaded bomb…." Students should be encouraged to learn as much as possible about the fascinating history of Middle Eastern politics.