Israel’s education system has been criticized for perpetuating hatred and negation of Palestinians, influencing generations without empathy for Palestinians. The indoctrination from kindergarten to high school prepares Israeli youth to see Palestinians as the ultimate Other and a threat. Even Netanyahu’s post-war de-radicalisation program for Gaza schools ignores the indoctrination in Israeli schools.
The textbooks erase Palestinian history, depict negative stereotypes, and dehumanize Palestinians, laying the foundation for the mistreatment and violence against them. Israeli schoolbooks fail to acknowledge the pre-1948 Palestinian life, leading to a lack of empathy and understanding among Israeli students.
The Israeli education system, along with the military’s involvement in schools, grooms young Israelis to serve in the IDF with a biased and bigoted worldview. Despite international criticism of Palestinian textbooks, Israeli schoolbooks have escaped scrutiny for their role in inciting hatred and violence towards Palestinians.
The genocide in Gaza is a result of this indoctrination, where young Israelis are taught to hate Palestinians from a young age. The deep-set prejudices in Israeli education remain unchallenged by Western bodies. Dr. Anna Saif highlights the damaging effects of the Israeli education system and calls for a reevaluation of the narrative taught to Israeli youth.
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