SUMMARY
1. Recent videos demonstrate the extremism present in the Palestinian education system. By allowing extremism to take hold at an early age, future generations are being prevented from negotiating way out of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
2. The Palestinian Authority’s failure to demonstrate its readiness for governance should caution external actors against recognising a Palestinian state prematurely.
3. Democratic governments, charities and other NGOs should push for education reform, as a pre-requisite to achieving a two state solution.
On Monday the State Department reinstated Fulbright grants to seven students in Gaza. Should they overcome the difficult process of gaining the necessary visas to travel, they will be able to take advantage of a rare opportunity to study in the United States. Their colleagues will not be so fortunate. Palestinian children suffer from an education system that fails to equip them with necessary skills, whilst providing a platform for radical elements to indoctrinate future generations.
Evidence of the problem was epitomised by the release of two videos that demonstrated an alarming degree of intolerance in the classroom, and the extent to which it is foisted upon impressionable minds. The first was a production by Hamas officials, in which children were donned with giant keys listing the names of Israeli cities. The keys symbolised Palestinian ownership of Israeli territory, and an absolute belief in the right of return. Such propaganda is commonplace by Hamas’ standards. Indeed, the production might not have made headlines were it not copied by the Palestinian Authority, which recorded an almost identical piece the following month.
Both videos demonstrate a series of disturbing realties. At the most basic level, they represent an appalling use of children for political purposes, and the way in which radicalism has permeated into all aspects of Palestinian society. The films also demonstrated that at a time when the peace process is already stalled, future generations are being conditioned to reject any form of compromise with their Israeli counterparts. Such trends should be deeply concerning given the tragic consequences of the current political leadership’s inability to do so. Unless root and branch reform of the Palestinian education system takes place soon, the potential leaders of tomorrow will be unable to escape from the decades old conflict that prepares to confront them.
Yet the tapes also had a contemporary effect, dealing another blow to hopes that an agreement on a two-state solution can be forged by the end of the year. Such hopes have always rested upon the Palestinian Authority’s ability to demonstrate that it is a moderate institution capable of being entrusted with the responsibility of self government. As demonstrated by its woeful management of teaching resources, the Palestinian Authority is nowhere near ready to do so.
Such hard truths should be constantly born in mind be external actors seeking to break the stagnated status quo. There can be no doubt that a working Palestinian state would advance the chances of peace and prosperity for the Palestinian people, whilst bolstering the stability of the Middle East. Yet the creation of a state before any organisation or institution capable of running it has been allowed to develop could result in catastrophe.
As such, there should be no rush to adopt a solution that could have a counter-productive effect upon the entire region. Doing so would establish a body possessed with all the hallmarks of a failed state: a willingness to use aggression against its neighbours, a population ill equipped to compete in the global marketplace, and a governing establishment incapable of isolating extremist voices.
Instead of perceiving Palestinian state to be a silver bullet, democratic nations should embrace policy options that help eliminate the root causes of extremism; an essential pre-requisite of any lasting agreement. Earlier this year the Taxpayer’s Alliance published a report that detailed ways in which UK government funds had been used to support the purchase of radicalising textbooks. Some called for violent resistance to liberate Iraq, whilst others instructed Palestinian children that the difference between westerns and themselves was that “they seek life while you seek death”.
For those whose hatred of Israel and the west has been reinforced over the course of decades, it may well be too late. Yet by promoting education reform and defunding radical teaching, governments, NGOs, and international aid agencies can bring about the type of change needed to bring about a lasting solution.