THE POLICIES OF THE ZIONIST OCCUPATION TOWARDS THE EDUCATION SECTOR IN PALESTINE AND THE OPTIONS OF THE PALESTINIANS TO CONFRONT THEM 1994 – 2023

Abstract

This article analyzes Israeli policies toward education in East Jerusalem between 1994 and 2023, with emphasis on how curricular interventions are deployed to reshape Palestinian identity. Through a mixed-method approach combining interviews, surveys, and documentary analysis the study shows how Israeli authorities impose revised curricula that erase national and religious references while enforcing structural constraints on Palestinian schools. Although economic pressure has produced partial compliance, the findings highlight the enduring resilience of local communities as the main barrier to the Judaization of education. At the institutional level, Palestinian organizations face severe external restrictions, financial shortages, and limited Arab or international attention, enabling these policies to advance with little accountability. The article concludes that education in Jerusalem constitutes a central front in the broader political struggle, requiring coordinated local, national, and international responses to safeguard Palestinian cultural and national identity.