Ankara: Israel will impose its curriculum on more than 45,000 Palestinian students in occupied East Jerusalem during the 2026-27 academic year, a Palestinian official said Monday, warning that the move targets the national and cultural identity of generations of Palestinians in the city.
According to Anadolu Agency, Jerusalem Governorate spokesperson Maarouf al-Rifai stated that the Israeli curriculum will be enforced on all new classes starting Tuesday in Israeli-run municipal schools in East Jerusalem, including first and seventh grades. He described the decision as a significant escalation since 1967 and a direct targeting of the national and cultural identity of Palestinian students in Jerusalem.
Al-Rifai emphasized that this measure is part of a systematic policy targeting Palestinian education in Jerusalem, aiming to replace the Palestinian curriculum with the Israeli narrative. Citing figures published by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, he noted that 39,363 Palestinian students at 105 municipal schools will study the Israeli curriculum during the new academic year, along with 5,085 students at institutions classified as 'recognized but unofficial.' This brings the total to over 45,000 students, approximately 38% of nearly 120,000 Palestinian students in East Jerusalem.
He highlighted that the number of students studying the Israeli curriculum has increased sharply in recent years, from 10,347 in the 2020-21 academic year to 19,402 in 2024-25 and 27,041 in 2025-26. Al-Rifai attributed this shift to years of Israeli pressure on Palestinian educational institutions, including measures targeting school administrations and linking some funding to curriculum-related conditions.
Al-Rifai also mentioned Israel's takeover of two educational compounds previously operated by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in the Shuafat and Kafr Aqab refugee camps. According to available information, Israeli authorities plan to open 14 secondary-school classes, an elementary school, and five kindergartens at the Shuafat compound, as well as a boys' secondary school at the Kafr Aqab compound.
He argued that imposing the curriculum of an occupying power on Palestinians in an occupied city constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law. Al-Rifai referenced the Fourth Geneva Convention, which places obligations on the occupying power toward civilians, including protecting children and ensuring the continued functioning of educational institutions.
The Palestinian official stressed that the issue extends beyond an administrative or educational measure, directly affecting Palestinian awareness, memory, and national identity. He accused Israel of removing or marginalizing subjects related to Palestinian history, including the Nakba, prisoners, and Jerusalem. Al-Rifai called on UNESCO, UN agencies, and other international organizations to intervene to halt the measures and protect Palestinian educational institutions and the right to education.
He concluded by stating that Palestinians' adherence to their curriculum is not merely an attachment to a textbook, but a defense of memory, identity, history, and the right to determine the national narrative.