Conflict Management
The Pursuit of Education in Israel
By: Alaya Tillman
I wanted to investigate how the Israeli Palestinian conflict disproportionally effects minority groups, specifically in their pursuit of higher education. I found that the segregated areas of the West Bank that house the majority of displaced Palestinians do not have the adequate resources to support its children in the classroom, if there even is a classroom. In my research paper I attempt to answer the question: How has the Israeli Palestinian conflict impacted the education programs, specifically the pursuit of higher education amongst Palestinians? The systematic oppression of the Palestinian people and their inability to pursue higher education, is a direct result of prejudice legislative policies in Israel today. Here are some alarming stats:
- 31% of schools in Area C, a portion of the West Bank, have inadequate water and sanitation facilities as of 2018
- At least 23 schools serving 2,250 children in Area C of the West Bank and in East Jerusalem have pending stop-work or demolition orders, meaning they could be demolished at any time.
- In 2009, the Jerusalem municipality spent four times educating the average Israeli child in West Jerusalem than that spent educating a Palestinian child in East Jerusalem.
- 13 schools serving 4,497 girls and boys and employing 326 faculty members are located in the Access Restricted Areas in Gaza (the area extending 1.5 kms from the border with Israel). These areas see frequent Israeli incursions and activity by Palestinian armed groups, putting children and teachers at risk of violence.
I conclude that the international community has a moral responsibility to divert its attention and ample resources to address the dire situation in Israel. The price of the conflict should not be the futures of innocent children.