What is happening inside schools in east Jerusalem? Witnesses came to speak with Israel Hayom to expose the environment in which students are taught in the eastern part of the capital. While they are not directly inciting terror, the environment in which students are taught in some schools raises difficult questions.
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"Teachers sit in the teachers' room quite contently after terrorist attacks. They aren't concerned about the death of Israelis, and some of them even say 'hopefully the wounded will die'. There are others that do not publicly express joy, but in their hearts, they are happy – or at the very least, they just don't care," says one teacher who has taught for the last decade in a school in the eastern part of the city.
"Many teachers identify with the Palestinian cause. Israel's existence is a technicality for them, that they put up with as they have no choice, but they do not feel any sentiment towards Israel. You might even overhear a teacher in the hallway say to him or herself 'may God free us from the occupation, Israel must disappear'," the teacher adds.
"There are also extremist teachers teaching Islam in a way that brainwashes children, and the message that the students receive is that it's okay to persecute Jews", the teacher explains. "For example, a mathematics teacher who decides to devote the last 15 minutes of class every day to teach religion. Some will say to the kids: Don't watch television, it's against Islam. Some of these teachers support the Arab Liberation Front – a movement of radical Islam."
Not all these movements directly incite violence. However, none of these movements encourage the students to look at Israel as a partner instead of an enemy. Another teacher that taught at a girls' school in east Jerusalem explains "teachers did not discuss politics in the classroom because classes were supervised, and it is forbidden. Any teacher that does that knows that he or she is putting his or her job at risk."
Most teachers and students don't feel part of Israel, and they feel connected to Palestinian society. For example, a teacher might arrive in the morning for another school day after having spent the evening before paying a condolence visit to a close family member in his neighborhood whose son committed a terrorist attack. There are students whose families support the Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah) and are imbued with political militancy.
Partial and limited supervision
Some 118,000 students in all age groups study in 26 educational institutions in east Jerusalem. About 47% of the students study in official city schools, that are fully funded and run by Israel. Another 38% of the students study in unofficial schools. These are not fully funded by the Israeli authorities and are run by non-profit organizations.
Most of the teachers and teaching staff acquired their teaching certificates from higher education institutes run by the Palestinian Authority, and the supervision in these schools is limited and less effective. The remaining 15% of students study in private schools, that are not funded nor supervised by Israel, such as educational institutions run by the Islamic Waqf and UNRA.
Some 86% of east Jerusalem students learn according to Tawjihi, the Palestinian Educational curriculum. The rest learn according to the Israeli curriculum. The Palestinian curriculum does not recognize the legitimacy of the state of Israel, and the textbooks are written according to the Palestinian ministry of education and are transferred from Ramallah to Israel. Here they are censored and reprinted after removing inciting content.
Without the word "Israel"
In some textbooks there is no overt incitement calling on students to commit acts of violence; however, the Palestinian narrative is emphasized, in addition to core subjects and historical events in the Palestinian conflict.
In a high-school history textbook we received, there are pictures of the destruction of houses in the Gaza Strip following the 2014 Operation Protective Edge, and the student is asked to "describe the Zionist aggression that is reflected in the picture." In another exercise, the students are asked to hold a discussion and express their opinions regarding Palestinian prisoners. The word "Israel" is not mentioned once in the textbook, and instead, the term "occupation" is used.
"It's our narrative, and you will not take it away from us. We will never give up on it", says a parent in east Jerusalem. "Our children must learn about the 'Nakba' (meaning "catastrophe" in Arabic, referring to Israel's independence), about the Intifadas, and about all the things that our people have endured, and we will continue to push for it, and make sure it happens. It is not incitement – we are preserving our legacy, culture, and history. The Zionists came and they took our land. We are Palestinians, this is our identity."
Despite this, over the last five years, there has been an increase in the number of students who enroll in the Israeli curriculum. "There is momentum. The number of students increased from 6,000 to 17,000. In the past there was strong opposition, today there's high demand – parents put their names on a waiting list", says Zion Regev, director of the East Jerusalem Five-Year Education Plan, under the auspices of the Jerusalem municipality.
A ray of light
"The considerations are practical. More parents understand that the Israeli curriculum is more suitable for the 21st century. The level of education is higher, the program is more diverse, and it shortens the path to complete higher education in Israeli institutions. We won't make them become Zionists. They are not Israeli citizens – we are not forcing this; we have good intentions. Some come from broken homes and poor neighborhoods, and we try to provide them with an alternative – after-school activities, clubs, and a safe school environment.
"A child who enjoys going to school will think 20 times before committing a terrorist attack. Clearly, schools that encourage incitement need to be strongly dealt with – no question about it. However, not all Palestinians are terrorists who want to stab Jews. There is concern that the latest wave of attacks will result in the baby being thrown out with the bath water. It's important to understand that schools are not the problem – but rather the solution", claims Regev.
"The educational system is significant, but not the main influence", explains Dr. David Koren in this regard, CEO of the Jerusalem Institute for Policy Research. "There is great significance in promoting legislation and measures that will limit the content being shared on social networks, and especially on Telegram."
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