I found this article from the Washington Post about a pilot project run by Israeli schools in East Jerusalem two years ago where certain schools offered Palestinian students the opportunity to follow Israeli curriculum. This apparently raised political backlash from the Palestinian side because the textbooks and curriculum as a whole was biased towards the Israeli State. It is interesting to note the differing accounts from Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, and from the Palestinian parents involved.
Some excerpts from the article:
“Israeli officials say that by offering an alternative to an antiquated Jordanian curriculum overseen by the Palestinian Authority, they are trying to do right by students by helping them succeed as citizens in a polyglot, knowledge-based economy.”
“But the new curriculum has been branded by Palestinian officials in Ramallah, the administrative center of the West Bank, as a bullying tactic by an occupying power seeking to brainwash their young charges.”
“We consider this Israeli step an attempt to rewrite our history and undermine our national identity,” said Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator…”‘
“Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat said he doesn’t understand why Palestinian officials would rather “impose a low-quality education on their kids” than adopt the Israeli curriculum. “I think it’s weird,” he said.”
“Frankly, we feel that we are in the middle, and we don’t know what to do,” Jabari said. “We have two authorities squeezing us — the Israelis and the Palestinians.”
-[Palestinian parent]
