An end-of-year party in a classroom is not a news item but for some Israeli public schools in the Arab-sector of the eastern capital, the event is infused with a political undertone and hate for Israel in keeping with the PA (Palestinian Authority) curriculum. These schools are funded by Israel’s Ministry of Education, which is headed by Minister (Bayit Yehudi) Naftali Bennett.

At some of the parties held this week students waved Palestinian flags and shouted anti-Israel statements, MyNet reports, quoting a former Arab sector PTA head, Abed el-Karim, who explains this is because the schools are connected to the Israeli Ministry of Education. Abed explains “We don’t want any connection with the Israeli ministry – its plan is a political one”.

He laments how the ministry encourages students to take Israeli matriculation exams, explaining in the books, Har Habayis and al-Aqsa belongs to Israel and he does not want his children receiving such an education, which he calls “the occupation”.

“I am willing to forgo the ministry budgets and education for a Palestinian education. We can get donations. If I live under occupation, then according to international law the Education Ministry must give me” [funding] he concludes.

The Education Ministry reports the Nur School in Ras el-Amud is not state-funded. Jerusalem City Hall says it is a private school that does not receive funding from the city.

The end-of-year party is one small example for in fact, schools in Arab areas of the city have a different curriculum that Jewish public schools and the ministry’s involvement is minimum, permitting these schools to indoctrinate students with the PA rhetoric and inculcate children with a hate of Israel.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)