Israel advances bill to ban teachers with Palestinian degrees

The Israeli government approved a bill on Sunday to restrict individuals with academic degrees from Palestinian institutions from teaching in Israeli schools.

The legislation, proposed by Likud MK, Amit Halevi, along with other coalition lawmakers, grants the Education Ministry’s director general the authority to deny employment or teaching licenses to any person holding degrees from educational institutions within the Palestinian Authority.

According to Haaretz, the bill claims there has been a rise in Israeli citizens and residents obtaining degrees from Palestinian Authority (PA) institutions and subsequently teaching in Israeli schools.

“The studies at these institutions include, in many cases, antisemitic content and indoctrination whose purpose is to deny the existence of the state of Israel and to seriously incite against it,” the bill states.

The Ministerial Committee for Legislation’s backing ensures government support as the bill advances to the Knesset, where it requires three readings to become law.

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If enacted, exceptions would be made for teachers who earned their degrees or completed most of their studies before the law takes effect, provided they complete supplementary training for education roles in Israel.

It comes a month after the Israeli Knesset passed a bill that would allow for the prosecution of teachers and educational professionals who Tel Aviv claims “support terror”.

According to the bill’s explanatory notes, it allows the ministry to reduce funding for schools found to support or endorse terrorist acts or organisations. The law is directed toward Arab schools in occupied East Jerusalem, where Israeli authorities allege “incitement of minors against the State of Israel” and “glorification of terrorists.”

In response, the Arab Education Follow-up Committee criticised the legislation calling it an effort to instil fear and stifle free speech and critical education.

“This law is nothing but an additional step in a systematic policy to subject Palestinian society inside the country to not present any critical thought that contradicts the prevailing thought and general approach,” the committee explained.

Meanwhile, MK Amit Halevi stated that the bill was introduced despite opposition from legal counsel, emphasising that “upon completion of the legislation, anybody who has been trained in PA institutions will not be able to become a teacher in Israel. They will be welcome in Tehran and Ramallah, but not in our schools.”

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