By our man in Palestine
JERUSALEM – In a move set to spark a fresh firestorm, the Knesset has passed a controversial law banning graduates of Palestinian universities from teaching in the Israeli education system.
Lawmakers voted late Wednesday to approve the bill, which effectively strips any academic degree issued by the Palestinian Authority (PA) of its recognition for teaching purposes.
Proponents of the legislation claim the move is vital for national security, arguing that Palestinian institutions are “greenhouses” for anti-Israel sentiment and incitement.
“We will not allow those who absorbed hatred of Jews while studying in a place that encourages terror to teach our children,” said Shas MK Yosef Taieb, chair of the Education Committee.
The law introduces sweeping changes to the State Education Law.
From now on, anyone holding a bachelor’s degree from a PA-affiliated institution will be considered “lacking the academic qualifications” required to work as a teacher, principal, or supervisor in Israel.
While the law includes a grace period for existing staff, new applicants will be forced to undergo a two-year Israeli teacher-training program to “neutralize” their previous education.
Critics have slammed the move as “racist” and “draconian.”
Arab-Israeli lawmakers argue the ban is a blatant attempt to silence Palestinian identity and will lead to massive teacher shortages in East Jerusalem and the Negev, where many educators rely on Palestinian universities for their training.
MK Yasmin Fridman of the Yesh Atid party called the legislation a “disgrace,” warning that it offers no alternatives and will only fuel resentment and unemployment.
The ban is the latest in a series of hardline measures targeting Palestinian education, following a 2024 law that gave the government power to sack teachers who express “support for terror.”
The “Incitement” Debate
The Israeli government has long accused the Palestinian Authority of using its curriculum to incite violence and delegitimize Israel.
A 2025 report by IMPACT-se claimed PA textbooks promote “martyrdom and jihad.”
This law is the legislative culmination of those concerns, treating the entire academic output of Palestinian universities as politically compromised.
Statistics from the Knesset Research Center show that over the last decade, roughly 11% of new teachers in the Arab education sector held Palestinian degrees.
In East Jerusalem, the figure is even more dramatic, where nearly 60% of the teaching workforce graduated from institutions like Al-Quds University.
Human rights groups, including Adalah (The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel), argue the law violates “freedom of occupation”—the right to work in one’s chosen profession.
UN experts have previously warned that such measures constitute a form of “collective punishment” and further erode the possibility of future co-existence.
