Abstract:
The Palestinian-Israeli conflict remains a central issue in a tumultuous region. The Abraham Accords offer hope for deradicalization and warm peace, in contrast to the cold peace of previous agreements. However, conflicts like the Gaza War complicate this vision, underscoring the need for educational efforts to foster coexistence. For true peace, textbooks must condemn violence, hatred, and antisemitism rather than support it. The paper compares the education systems and textbooks of countries with cold peace agreements, like Egypt and Jordan, to those of Abraham Accords countries, such as the UAE and Morocco, which aim for warmer peace. It also contrasts the educational approaches of the countries of resistance, including Iran and Qatar, with the countries of moderation, including Saudi Arabia, noting that Palestinians are currently more aligned with the countries of resistance. For those involved in planning and rebuilding Gaza in the “day after,” these discussions of educational reform are crucial. Leaders and politicians must learn from the educational frameworks of tolerance and moderation in the region to find opportunities to reform Gaza’ s educational system, transforming it into a tool for peacebuilding and conflict resolution, which will hopefully project on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at large.
*This article is part of Regional Cooperation in the Midst of Regional Conflagration: Examining the Partnership Agenda in the Shadow of October 7th.
**This is a short version of the article. For a full version of this article that includes full text and source citations, please see the original publication file.