A new civics studies textbook for high schools has become the latest front in Israel's culture wars.

It has been five years in the making, and is the only textbook on the national curriculum for the matriculation exams that all schools - secular and religious, Jewish and Arab - have to use.

The creation of the textbook was a near impossible balancing act. Written by committee, it aimed to respect, educate and challenge students from diverse backgrounds and express both the Jewish and democratic sides of the Israeli ethos.

The previous textbook, Being Citizens in Israel, was criticised from all sides when it was published 15 years ago. The left said it had too many quotes from religious sources; the right said it underplayed Israel's Jewish character; and educators said it was too anodyne. The new book is being attacked even before the presses begin rolling.

Three members of the committee charged with drafting the book, political science researchers and academics, have resigned, claiming that the Jewish side of the book overpowers the democratic aspects.

The book refutes claims that incitement contributed to killing of Rabin

Last week, a letter from the grammatical editor of the book criticised the fact that the murder of Yitzhak Rabin was put under the heading of "ideological crimes", along with the order given by prime minister David Ben Gurion in 1948 to fire at Altalena, an Irgun arms ship. He also said that the book refuted claims that incitement prior to Rabin's murder contributed to his murder and that it claims that most of the recent terror attacks have been carried out by Israeli-Arabs (a factual error).

Education Minister Naftali Bennett has rejected the criticisms of the textbook. He has promised that the public would have a chance to view the final text and that once they see it, most of the complaints will be laid to rest. However, it is unclear whether that will be before or after thousands of the books are printed.