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Palestinian schools in al-Quds to go on strike in protest at Israel’s attempts to change textbooks

Sunday, 18 September 2022 5:27 PM [ Last Update: Sunday, 18 September 2022 5:57 PM ]

Palestinian protesters hold banners against Israel’s plan to change textbooks at schools in al-Quds and elsewhere across the occupied West Bank. (File photo by official Wafa news agency)

Palestinian schools in occupied East al-Quds are set to go on a one-day strike in protest against attempts by the occupying regime’s authorities to impose Israeli textbooks on Palestinian curricula.

In a statement on Sunday, the Palestinian National and Islamic Forces (PNIF), a coalition of the Palestinian political factions, called for the strike on Monday. It said the Palestinian children had the right to be taught curricula approved by the Palestinian Education Ministry, not the distorted Israeli curricula.

The controversial Israeli decision has sparked a wave of protests across the occupied territories over the past few days. On Saturday, parents and students held demonstrations in several neighborhoods of the holy city. The protesters held banners and chanted slogans such as ‘no to the distorted curriculum’, and ‘no to judaization of education’.

Earlier this month, Israeli authorities printed new textbooks which contain distorted Palestinian history, culture and national symbols. The purpose behind this, the Palestinians say, is to falsify and distort the facts about the holy city of al-Quds, in particular, and Palestine, in general.

In 2021, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory Lynn Hastings said the Tel Aviv regime has a responsibility for protecting Palestinian children and teachers from attacks conducted by settlers on their way to and from school.

Several cities across the occupied West Banks are known for being the scene of regular attacks by Israeli forces and settlers against Palestinian students.

Israel to demolish more Palestinian schools, mosques

Israeli authorities claim the structures that are demolished have been built without permits.

The UN says Israeli attacks are “incidents of interference in schools by Israeli forces,” which include “threats of demolition, clashes on the way to school between students and security forces, teachers stopped at checkpoints, and the violent actions of Israeli forces and settlers on some occasions.”

According to the UN, over half of the “verified incidents involved live ammunition, tear gas and stun grenades fired into or near schools by Israeli forces, impacting the delivery of education or injuring students.”

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Education, thousands of Palestinian children, staff and teachers are “attacked” by either Israeli settlers or soldiers each year.

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