Israel passes law banning new Palestinian teachers in East Jerusalem

The Israeli Knesset has passed a contentious law that effectively bars new Palestinian teachers educated within the Palestinian system from teaching in Israeli schools, including those in occupied East Jerusalem. The legislation, advanced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, passed its final reading with 30 votes in favor and 10 against, framing the measure as a security and demographic necessity.

Rationale and Scope of the New Legislation

The new law explicitly aims to prevent what it calls the "harmful influence" of the Palestinian Authority and to protect what it defines as Israel's "Jewish and democratic" educational values. According to Education Minister Yoav Kisch, "This law prohibits anyone educated at academic institutions in the Palestinian Authority from working as a teacher in the Israeli education system." The ban applies only to future applicants, not to Palestinian teachers currently employed in the system.

Impact on East Jerusalem and Broader Context

The law's extension to schools in occupied East Jerusalem is particularly significant, as it imposes Israeli educational policy on the Palestinian population of the annexed area. This move is seen by critics as a further step in the systemic discrimination against Palestinian residents and an effort to control the narrative taught to Palestinian children. It occurs within the broader context of Israel's prolonged occupation and settlement expansion, which Türkiye and much of the international community consider illegal under international law.

Reactions and Data on Israeli Teaching Workforce

While immediate reactions from Palestinian officials are pending, the law is likely to escalate tensions and be condemned as racially discriminatory. Data from the Knesset Research and Information Center indicates that over the past decade, 30,339 new teachers have entered the Israeli education sector, highlighting the scale of the system this policy will now affect. For observers in Türkiye, a nation consistently advocating for Palestinian rights and the preservation of Jerusalem's legal status, this law represents another aggressive infringement on the rights and cultural identity of the Palestinian people under occupation.