Israeli Education System's Core Messages Echoed by Palestinian Leader

Palestinian leader Sami Abu Shahadeh has generated significant anxiety and antagonism among Israelis, more so than other Palestinian leaders, due to his recent messages. The "Democrats" party explained that while they support partnership, "true democratic partnership requires red lines." The primary Israeli outrage stems from two points in an article Abu Shahadeh published after October 7th. The first message argues that the Palestinian attack from Gaza should not be surprising, as continuous pressure leads to an explosion from the oppressed. He stated that "decades of occupation, siege, targeted assassinations of leadership, daily killing of people, and desecration of the honor, property, and holy places of the Palestinian people, all these can only lead to a reaction. The real surprise is the resilience of the Palestinian people until they reached the breaking point." This sentiment is compared to the biblical phrase, "And as they afflicted them, so they multiplied and grew." The second message addresses the oppressor, stating that power is not eternal and even a small military force can bring down powerful empires. Abu Shahadeh wrote that "Israel and its intelligence agencies are human beings like us. They do not know everything. If small, besieged Gaza succeeded in doing this at this level, then others can do it more effectively and simply." This is likened to the Hanukkah prayer, "delivering the mighty into the hands of the weak, and the many into the hands of the few."

These two messages, according to the article, are deeply embedded in Israel's own educational curriculum. The narrative of the persecuted who will not break, who do not fear power, and can overcome empires, is present in Bible studies, history, civics, holiday ceremonies, and heritage site tours. This mindset is absorbed by Israeli students from a young age, shaping their interpretation of reality. The article cites Sivan Rahav-Meir, who describes this as the "operating mechanism of the people of Israel for thousands of years." Abu Shahadeh, however, claims this same mechanism operates for Palestinians, but crucially, he argues that oppression leads to an explosion, thus advocating against violence. He stated, "The horrors of the occupation do not justify the massacre in the Gaza border communities... This massacre does not justify the erasure of Gaza and the killing of tens of thousands of its residents." In contrast, the Israeli curriculum, the article contends, teaches a lesson of destruction. For instance, a Ministry of Education curriculum suggestion for teaching a chapter in Exodus proposes explaining that God destroyed the Egyptian army after the Israelites' liberation to impress upon the Israelites the fate of their oppressors, not just their own freedom. This lesson of destruction is further amplified in the study of the conquest of Canaan, where the curriculum discusses the commandment to "leave no soul alive," framing it not as primitive barbarism but as a divine command against corrupt nations who forfeit their right to exist. The article contrasts this with Abu Shahadeh's view, which seeks equality and peace, arguing that his refusal to play the expected role of the oppressed who are to be destroyed is what constitutes his "red line" and causes Israeli discomfort.