Three objectives are the goal of the Israeli Government using precision targeting to avoid civilian deaths, spokesperson Eylon Levy told a Government Press Office media conference from Tel Aviv, on Monday, December 4, 2023. First a total demilitarization of Hamas, sustainable reconstruction, and deradicalization in Gaza. "The next generation has to know Israel is here to stay," Levy added.
The sole emphasis on the return of the hostages taken from Israel on October 7 and on defeating the military capacities of Hamas has finally been expanded to mention PA governance. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in another media conference about the Palestinian Authority, "that it also educates its children to hate Jews."
Specifics on education are extremely important. One key lies in the UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees) schools, in Gaza, where half a million students from grades 1-12 attend school, and half are enrolled in UNRWA schools.
The Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-se), has been monitoring and analyzing education worldwide since 1998. Their stated aim is to ensure that education complies with international standards of peace, tolerance, and non-violence, as derived from UNESCO declarations and resolutions. Marcus Sheff a former editor at the Jerusalem Post is the current CEO.
A joint report by IMPACT-se and United Nations Watch, shed light on 47 new cases of incitement to hate and violence by UNRWA teachers and schools, in clear violation of the agency's policies. This report revealed a disturbing pattern of calling for the murder of Jews, glorifying terrorism, and inciting antisemitism within UNRWA's education system under the Palestinian Authority.
Since 2016, the evidence shows a shocking promotion of hate among young children and a deterioration in content, falling far short of UNESCO standards. Some examples included the removal of content discussing peace agreements, negotiations, and the two-state solution, as well as the encouragement of violence, and demonization of Israel across all grades and subjects, even infiltrating math and science, as well as removing Israel from a regional map.
Norway's decision to cut funding over textbook incitement in December 2020 was met with a defiant response from Palestinian PM Shtayyeh, who declared that the "curriculum will not be surrendered." This resistance to reforming the curriculum, even in exchange for the release of frozen EU funds, was reiterated by PA Foreign Minister Al-Maliki in March 2022.
It is crucial to shed light on the texts used by the Palestinian Authority as well as Hamas. International attention must address the root causes of conflict in the region as anti-Israel and antisemitism are spreading worldwide.
US officials have started arriving in Israel to discuss “the day after” and the policy the Biden administration wants to implement “after the war.”
UNRWA and the PA's role in perpetuating hatred and violence through education must be scrutinized. Once Hamas is eliminated, efforts to promote peace and tolerance should be prioritized for the sake of a more stable future for all involved, as Israel is here to stay.