Gaza teacher says she was threatened for refusing to teach kids to hate Jews

Key Points:

• A Palestinian UNRWA teacher in Gaza reported being threatened with having her tongue cut out after confronting colleagues who taught hatred of Jews and promoted violence, highlighting risks faced by those opposing extremist rhetoric in Gaza's schools.
• The teacher, with 15 years of experience, revealed that some educators openly glorify Hamas and blame Jews for Palestinian suffering, contributing to an environment of indoctrination that has worsened since the October 7 war with Israel.
• She expressed concern that Gaza’s education system is cultivating a new generation prone to violence, warning that many Palestinians condemn the consequences of the October 7 attacks but not the attacks themselves, risking future escalations.
• The teacher called for urgent reforms in Gaza’s schools, including curriculum changes and independent oversight, arguing that addressing education is more crucial than disarming Hamas or changing Gaza’s governance to prevent repeated violence.
• UNRWA has faced longstanding criticism for tolerating antisemitism and incitement in its schools, with investigations revealing some employees’ involvement in terrorism; the agency denies tolerating such behavior and did not comment on the teacher’s allegations.