The divide between Israelis in West Jerusalem and Palestinians in East Jerusalem has been continually growing since the annexation of East Jerusalem by Israeli forces in 1967. This divide has touched areas as diverse as the economy, politics, and education. Palestinians will continually be at a disadvantage compared to Israelis as long as the Israeli government controls all aspects of East Jerusalem.
The Israeli Ministry of Education currently controls many aspects of the Palestinians education in East Jerusalem. This includes finances, teacher certification, and physical facilities. It is the Ministry’s policy to have “separate but equal” facilities and opportunities for the Palestinians although this isn’t always translated into practice.
Currently, the disparities between educational facilities in West Jerusalem and East Jerusalem are at an all time high. There needs to be establishment of equitable teaching facilities in East Jerusalem before any other problems in the education system can be addressed, such as curriculum and funding. Israel does not see the establishment of these facilities as one of their priorities and therefore have let the situation worsen in East Jerusalem.
In order for the Palestinians in East Jerusalem to be able to attend the same caliber of schools found in West Jersusalem, an outside entity or non-governmental organization will need to take on the project. One such entity that would be ideal is the United Nations Educational, Sceintific, and Cultural Oraganization (UNESCO) which often attempts to alleviate educational problems in many third world and non-Western states. Another such entity would be the United States, who is a strong ally of Israel and in a position of guidance, if not authority, over the Jewish state.
The adoption of a foundation by these two entities, UNESCO and the U.S., would be better able to deal with creating equitable educational facilities in East Jerusalem. Once these facilities are created, the Israeli state with the help of the foundation can continue to reform the education system so that it truly is “separate for equal” for the Palestinians of East Jerusalem.
