The Children’s book “P is for Palestine” has divided a New Jersey town.

The book’s author was scheduled to read it during story time at the Highland Park Public Library this month, but after some locals — who claimed the book promotes violence — complained, library officials are reconsidering.

Many critics took issue with the “I is for Intifada” page, saying it recalls two stints of violence between Palestinians and Israelis between 1987and 1991, and 2000 and 2005. Hundreds of people from both sides died.

“The idea of this person visiting our community - and being accepted - makes me feel unsafe,” local Lindsay Erin said. “I is for Intifada - encouraging children to rise up any way they see fit to resist. Far from peaceful and far from appropriate.”

But book author Goldbarg Bashi said her book does not promote violence or anti-Semitism, but simply celebrates Palestinian culture. The word “intifada” has been unfairly linked to violence, she said.

It really means “resistance,” which has mostly been peaceful, she added. Intifada can include wearing embroidered Palestinian-style dresses or cooking a Palestinian dish; or for Americans, marching in the Women’s March, she argued.

Some residents have supported her reading.

Rachel Kleinman, who grew up in Highland Park and is Jewish, described the two square mile bedroom community as a “very Jewish town." Kleinman said she was surprised at the “blatant racism” against Palestinians because residents are usually very open-minded.

Due to extraordinary public response about the P is for Palestine author talk, we would like our patrons to know what we... Posted by Highland Park Public Library on Tuesday, May 7, 2019

The library’s board of trustees will discuss the issue at its next public meeting on May 20, according to a statement posted on the library’s Facebook page. The event was removed from the library’s schedule, pending the board’s decision. A library employee told NJ Advance Media that the director was on vacation and unavailable for comment.

Bashi, a former Rutgers professor, said she has faced push-back against her book before.

Leaders of a prominent Upper West Side synagogue threatened to cancel a book fair in 2017 when they discovered a local book store was promoting and selling the book, according to the New York Daily News. Bashi added that she regularly receives threats, and said “no bookstore in New York would dare to contact me,” because store owners don’t want to be caught up in a similar controversy.

Bashi plans to publish a second Palestinian-themed book soon, she said. This one will focus on numbers.

Cassidy Grom may be reached at cgrom@njadvancemedia.com Follow her at @cassidygrom . Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips .

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