The education of Gaza’s youth is more than a regional concern. It’s a moral and spiritual crisis. As a Christian, I carry a deep conviction that the way children are taught today determines whether peace is possible tomorrow. If Gaza’s young generation grows up learning only hatred, how can reconciliation ever take root?
And this is not something I say from a distance. I was once a little kid living in Ramallah. I remember the songs we sang in school, the slogans on the walls, the way we were taught who the enemy was. I know what it’s like to grow up in a place where your worldview is shaped before you’re old enough to question it. That’s why this issue is not abstract for me. It’s personal. I’ve lived it.
Each child bears the image of God. They are born with hearts ready to love, imagine, and grow. But in Gaza, too many of them are taught to hate before they are taught to hope.
According to IMPACT-se, a 2021 study found that school textbooks in Gaza promoted violence, erased Israel from maps, and glorified jihad as a noble calling. In these lessons, bullets become math problems, and martyrdom replaces moral formation. The education of Gaza’s youth is being hijacked by ideology and that must change.
What we teach children is never neutral. It’s a form of discipleship. When we fill their minds with lies and their hearts with rage, we rob them of a future built on truth.
Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” But peacemakers cannot grow out of seeds of hate. The education of Gaza’s youth must be reformed to reflect dignity, truth, and shared humanity.
I do not turn a blind eye to Gaza’s pain. The poverty, trauma, and generational grief are real. Every grieving parent and injured child deserves compassion. But compassion cannot come at the cost of truth.
We cannot justify sowing hatred because of hardship. Instead, their suffering should drive us to act, to advocate for education that lifts children out of the cycle of violence and into a future of peace. The education of Gaza’s youth must reflect hope, not bitterness.
Children are not born with hate. They are taught it. But that also means they can be taught love, empathy, and responsibility. They can be shown a better way a way of building, forgiving, and reconciling.
Christ calls us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. What if we began by teaching that to every child? What if the education of Gaza’s youth centered on peace rather than propaganda?
We cannot be passive. As believers, we are called to be salt and light. This includes standing up for truth in education and supporting those working to bring real change.
If we care about peace in the region, we must care about what Gaza’s children are learning. We must speak up, support better curricula, and pray fervently for transformation. The future of Israel, Gaza, and the wider region depends on it.
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Romans 12:21
Thank you, Elias. I’m am praying for education with Christ and love for Gazan children. In Jesus’ Mighty Name, Amen.🙏