Jerusalem:Amman Royal Committee for Jerusalem Affairs (RCJA) Secretary-General Abdullah Kanaan has issued a warning regarding Israeli policies that target Palestinian education in occupied East Jerusalem. He described these actions as a "systematic effort" to erase Palestinian national identity and impose a new educational reality.
According to Jordan News Agency, Kanaan shared that findings from the annual human rights report on education in occupied Jerusalem for the 2025-2026 academic year reveal a "worsening crisis." The report highlights significant issues such as a shortage of 2,283 classrooms, exclusion of over 33,000 Palestinian children from formal and recognized education systems, and increasing school dropout rates.
Kanaan emphasized that the challenges are not limited to infrastructure and resource shortages. There are also efforts to impose the Israeli curriculum on Palestinian schools, target educational institutions and staff, and deny students access to education that preserves their Arab, national, and cultural identity. He warned that using educational needs as leverage, by tying funding and benefits to compliance with the Israeli curriculum, threatens educational diversity and cultural rights.
Additionally, Kanaan noted that restrictions on the recognition of academic qualifications from Palestinian universities and targeting of Palestinian teachers further undermine the educational environment. The RCJA stressed the importance of preserving Jerusalem's Arab, Islamic, and Christian identity, which is closely linked to protecting its educational institutions and national curricula.
The committee called on the international community, UN agencies, and human rights organizations, particularly UNESCO, to uphold their responsibilities in protecting the right to education in occupied Jerusalem. It urged these bodies to prevent the imposition of curricula and to safeguard the academic and cultural rights of students and teachers. Jordan, under the guidance of His Majesty King Abdullah II, remains dedicated to supporting the resilience of Jerusalemites and safeguarding the city's identity and holy sites.