Palestinian Textbooks and Western-Funded Education Fuel Anti-Semitism
Education has always held the power to shape societies for better or worse. It is a tool that can either foster resilience, understanding, and acceptance or contribute to division, hatred, and violence. In a publication by UNESCO titled Addressing Hate Speech Through Education, A Guide For Policy-Makers, education is recognized as a critical element in building resilience against hateful discourse. Unfortunately, recent events in Gaza have shown the destructive consequences of manipulating education to breed hatred.
On October 7, graduates of Gaza’s education system committed heinous crimes against Israeli civilians, reminding the world of the deeply rooted seeds of violence that were sown long ago. The Institute for Monitoring Peace and Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-se) has been conducting extensive research on the curricula taught in Gaza’s schools, shedding light on the alarming content found within Palestinian textbooks.
What the research has consistently revealed is a disturbing pattern of hatred towards Jews, incitement to violence, and the glorification of terror and martyrdom. Palestinian textbooks across various subjects, ranging from humanities to math and science, are filled with examples promoting violence and endorsing acts of terror. For instance, an eighth-grade reading comprehension exercise features a story that promotes suicide bombings, while another textbook titled From Stone to Missile idolizes the use of rockets against Israel. Even a fifth-grade study card mandates committing jihad and becoming a martyr in the name of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. These examples, among many others, directly correlate with the horrific attack carried out by Hamas.
Compounding the issue is the unintentional contribution of the international community, including policymakers in Washington. The Palestinian Authority (PA) receives substantial aid, amounting to hundreds of millions of Euros, from European governments and the European Union. The hate-filled textbooks of the PA, which form the basis of education in Gaza’s schools, are also taught in schools run by the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
Furthermore, the United States has been providing billions of dollars in humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territories since 1994. UNRWA, which operates schools attended by over half of Gaza’s students, is one of the largest recipients of this aid. In the past five years alone, the United States has contributed over one billion dollars to UNRWA’s education program. As a result, American taxpayer dollars not only fund the salaries of teachers who propagandize hatred through the PA curriculum but also support the production of additional materials bearing the UNRWA logo. These materials include a ninth-grade reading comprehension exercise that glorifies the bombing of a Jewish bus as a barbeque party. Tragically, the consequences of this incitement are evident, with at least one hundred UNRWA graduates listed on the Hamas website as members of its military wing.
The issue of incitement to violence has been repeatedly highlighted in reports on UNRWA. The most recent report, presented to Congress in 2023, identified forty-seven new cases of incitement by UNRWA staff, which violates the agency’s policies against racism, discrimination, and anti-Semitism in schools and educational materials.
Given the recent atrocities of October 7, the United States cannot continue to provide unrestricted funding to UNRWA. The human cost has become unbearable, and continued support would be untenable. Following the European Union’s lead, Washington must freeze funding to UNRWA until a comprehensive review is conducted. A lack of demanding full accountability would mean turning a blind eye to the radicalization of yet another generation of young Palestinians, destined to wage war against Israel and the West.
It is crucial that the international community recognizes the role education plays in shaping societies. By addressing the indoctrination and incitement to violence present in Palestinian textbooks and education systems, we can build a future based on peace, understanding, and coexistence. The time for change is now.
