We examine how Palestinian teachers in Jewish schools, who are Israeli citizens, coped during the intense conflict that unfolded after the events of October 7, 2023. This period was marked by a series of coordinated attacks initiated by Palestinian militant groups led by Hamas. The attacks included a relentless barrage of some 3,000 rockets targeting Israel and the breach of the Gaza–Israel barrier by around 3,000 militants who launched assaults on Israeli military bases and civilian communities, resulting in approximately 1,200 casualties and the abduction of about 240 civilians (Dostri, 2023).

The onslaught triggered recollections of European pogroms and the Holocaust among many of the Jewish citizens in Israel and elicited a national trauma (Tal, 2023). This shifted their perception from enjoying a comfortable, modern life in a quasi-European nation to an overarching sense of survival. This sentiment manifested as heightened suspicion toward Arab citizens of Israel (Asad, 2023), accompanied by widespread conspiracy theories alleging collusion with Hamas. There was also a notable persecution of Palestinian citizens of Israel expressing support for Palestinians on social media during this period.

Amidst the escalated tension and violence, Palestinian citizens of Israel working as teachers in Jewish schools were placed on the educational frontlines (Gindi et al., 2023). They encountered unprecedented challenges in managing interactions with students, students’ parents, co-teachers, and even their daily commutes to the schools where they taught. Our exploration delves into the experiences, resilience, and strategies employed by Israeli-Palestinian educators as they navigated the complexities of teaching in an environment overshadowed by the Gaza–Israel conflict.

Throughout November 2023, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 teachers and five supporting personnel 16 of which are Palestinian citizens of Israel and one Jewish Israeli citizen. The interviewees expressed their astonishment at the events of October 7^th, elaborating on their personal concerns regarding safety, security, and the prospect of resuming teaching duties in Jewish schools. They also discussed the transformations they observed both in Israeli society at large and within their immediate school environments. By exploring the role of Palestinian citizens of Israel as teachers in Jewish schools during this tumultuous period, the lecture aims to offer insights into the transformative power of education and the mediating role of teachers’ workplace relationships in fostering resilience, tolerance, and the potential for unity even in the most challenging circumstances of external war which intensify an internal national identity conflict.

This qualitative study is based on data collected In November 2023. The information collected included 12 interviews with Palestinian citizens of Israel who are teachers in Jewish schools and five interviews with supporting staff from a non-governmental agency that provides support for Palestinian teachers in Jewish schools. Three of the supporting staff were Palestinians working in Jewish schools themselves which allowed them to both report on their own experiences at the school and their experiences in supporting other teachers. The interviews utilized a semi-structured guide constructed in alignment with the research question. Four Ph.D. holders, each specializing in distinct fields (psychology, sociology, education, and religion), and one Master’s level psychologist served as interviewers. One of the interviewers was a native Arabic speaker, and the others were native Hebrew speakers. Consequently, some interviews were conducted in Arabic, with subsequent translation into Hebrew following transcription. The interviews, ranging from one to one and a half hours, were transcribed and then uploaded to a software-assisted qualitative data analysis NVIVO14 program (Bazeley, 2022) that was employed to facilitate the storage, coding, and systematic retrieval of the qualitative data (Wood & Bloor, 2006). This method enhances the accuracy, reliability, and transparency of qualitative investigations (Liamputtong, 2020). The coder, a Ph.D. holder specializing in conflict analysis, experienced in software-assisted qualitative data analysis, utilized a qualitative content analysis approach to identify recurring themes and patterns through data reduction, text interpretation, and an effort to identify consistency and core meanings within the data (Bernard et al., 2016). In the classification process, data were extracted into segments, inductively coded into categories, and grouped and compared with similar segments from other observations. This flexible method typically combines concept-driven and data-driven categories, ensuring that the overall coding framework aligns with the data (Schreier, 2014).

Following the October 7th, 2023 events, Israeli-Palestinian teachers in Jewish schools faced complex challenges due to the change in Jewish Israeli society. After the Oct 7th attack, many Jews began suspecting the Palestinian Arabs of allegiance with Hamas, asked them continuously to prove their loyalty and scrutinized their social media involvement. These educators, who had previously aimed for shared living with their Jewish counterparts, found their coexistence efforts seemingly futile amid the war. Initial findings highlight their astonishment and concerns about safety, affecting their personal well-being, including travel to and from school. In response to the precarious situation, these teachers adopted strategic communication approaches to foster unity and understanding during heightened tensions. Utilizing first-person terms, they emphasized the shared experiences of fear and anger among both Jews and Arabs affected by indiscriminate missiles. Acknowledging the difficulty of empathizing during escalations, Israeli-Palestinian teachers emphasized the paramount importance of maintaining mutual respect. Despite challenges in understanding the other side's perspective, they stressed the need for concerted efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of all teachers and students. Some teachers took a proactive stance against the war, expressing clear and decisive opposition to violence. They articulated a general stance against harm to both innocent Jews and Palestinians, some even exhibiting opposition to Hamas. Steering clear of complex political debates, they prioritized unity over ideological disagreements, reflecting a commitment to a cohesive educational environment and peace principles during a period of heightened emotions and challenges. Finally, initial findings point to an interrelation between the concerns of management for the personal condition of Israeli-Palestinian teachers during the chaotic first days of the war, especially principals’ interventions, and teachers sense of belonging and willingness to teach in a Jewish school.

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