Amman, Nov. 4 (Petra) - Royal Committee for Jerusalem Affairs (RCJA) Secretary-General Abdullah Kanaan warned on Wednesday that Israeli policies targeting Palestinian education in occupied East Jerusalem represent a "systematic effort" to erase Palestinian national identity and impose a new educational reality.

Kanaan told the Jordan News Agency (Petra) that the findings in the annual human rights report on education in occupied Jerusalem for the 2025–2026 academic year point to a "worsening crisis" facing Palestinian students and continued efforts to undermine their national and cultural identity.

He pointed to the report's figures, including a shortage of 2,283 classrooms, more than 33,000 Palestinian children excluded from both formal and recognized education systems, and rising school dropout rates.

Kanaan said that the threat extends beyond shortages of school buildings, facilities and educational resources. It includes attempts to impose the Israeli curriculum on Palestinian schools, target educational institutions and teaching staff, and deny students access to education that preserves their Arab, national, and Palestinian cultural identity.

He warned against using educational needs as leverage over Jerusalem's schools and families by tying funding and other benefits to compliance with the Israeli curriculum. Such practices threaten educational diversity and cultural rights, while placing the future of younger generations at risk, according to Kanaan.

He said targeting Palestinian teachers and educational institutions, along with restrictions on the recognition of academic qualifications issued by Palestinian universities, undermines the educational environment and students' access to comprehensive education.

The committee noted that preserving Jerusalem's Arab, Islamic and Christian identity is "inseparable" from protecting its educational institutions and national curricula. Education, it said, is a "cornerstone of the resilience" of Jerusalem's Palestinian population and a "vital" means of preserving national awareness, collective memory and identity for future generations.

It called on the international community, UN agencies and human rights organizations, particularly the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), to fulfill their responsibilities in protecting the right to education in occupied Jerusalem.

It also urged them to prevent the forced imposition of curricula, safeguard the academic and cultural rights of students and teachers, and monitor violations targeting Palestinian educational institutions.

Jordan, the committee said, remains committed to supporting the resilience of Jerusalemites and safeguarding the city’s identity and holy sites, guided by His Majesty King Abdullah II and the Hashemite Custodianship.

//Petra// HA