Likud Members of Knesset tour East Jerusalem schools as Israel seeks to replace inciteful PA curriculum

A group of Knesset members will tour several schools in East Jerusalem this week as part of work being done by the Subcommittee on "Curricula in East Jerusalem and Their Supervision," headed by Knesset Member Avichai Boaron (Likud party).

The tour comes as part of a plan to move government-subsidized schools in East Jerusalem, primarily Arab schools, over to the Israeli curriculum.

The previous subcommittee chairman, MK Amit Halevi (Likud), said of the Palestinian Authority (PA) curricula in 2023, “It's not a curriculum from Switzerland. It's unacceptable that 20,000 students are being educated to incitement within the State of Israel and are not subject to any supervision. That needs to change.” 

Researchers from the Knesset Research and Information Center said that of the 6,700 teachers instructing East Jerusalem students, 6,000 had been educated in the Palestinian Authority (PA). In addition, a small number (about 40) of the teachers' academic certificates were found to be forged. 

The research also showed that 85,000 out of 110,000 pupils are enrolled in the PA's school curriculum, only 2,000 pupils have switched to the Israeli curriculum, despite an investment of over NIS 200 million ($53,000) in the past two years.

According to government targets, 23,000 pupils (about 45%) were supposed to move to Israeli curricula. 

Boaron stated that this means tens of thousands of Arab students within the State of Israel are being exposed daily to incitement from the PA's curricula.

As part of this week's tour, Knesset members will meet with authorities in East Jerusalem’s education system to learn about the challenges and opportunities, and to explore ways to improve the learning and teaching processes in order to meet government targets for transitioning students from the PA curricula to Israeli curricula.

“The subcommittee I chair is committed to working to improve the quality of education in East Jerusalem, while ensuring quality curricula tailored to the needs of the students,” Boaron stated. We believe that education is the key to integrating and advancing society in East Jerusalem, and we will do everything in our power to ensure that every student has the opportunity to realize their potential.” 

Boaron previously blamed both the teachers and the residents for being unwilling to adopt the Israeli curricula. 

During a discussion in the subcommittee two weeks ago, Chief Superintendent Eyal Haivri, advisor for Arab Affairs in the Jerusalem District, told the members: “A majority of the normative public in east Jerusalem does want to participate in the Israeli plan. There are parents’ committees that are opposed to the plan because they see it as participation in the Israeli establishment. The carrot and stick method helps those who do want. Those who are opposed won’t join even if their budget is withheld. I estimate that about 60% want to join the Israeli plan.” 

Following discussions in the committee, Boaron wrote to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanding that the government's decision on the matter be implemented in order to succeed in its mission to uproot terrorism starting from its educational roots. 

Last year, the government approved a five-year plan to improve East Jerusalem, which included changes to school curricula, “to ensure a proper learning atmosphere and a proper and respectful encounter between Jewish and Arab students within the framework of campus life.” 

Addressing the failure to transfer Arab students to the Israeli curriculum, Boaron proposed "importing" a curriculum from a moderate Arab country, provided that it is taught by teachers who came from moderate Arab countries, and not teachers who studied in Jenin or Nablus, located in the West Bank.

Both the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia recently revamped their national curricula to remove antisemitic content.

Boaron also suggested delaying the decision's implementation until a revised government decision is made regarding the teaching staff. He advocates for a swift and mandatory transition to the Israeli curricula, with funding reduced or cut off for schools that refuse to comply.

“The treatment of this problem must be sharp and quick,” Boaron said.