Hebron High School Glorifies Terrorists And Terrorism, Inculcates Ideal Of Martyrdom Through Sports And Culture Activities, Everyday Study Materials

The Al-Zahariya high school in Hebron routinely incorporates in its daily activities and materials content that glorifies terrorists and terrorist attacks. In the recent months the school commemorated several terrorists in ceremonies and sports activities and by alluding to them in various study materials. Among these terrorists are 'Uday Al-Tamimi, who carried out a shooting attack at the Shu'afat checkpoint in East Jerusalem in which an Israeli soldier, Noa Lazar, was killed, and another shooting at the entrance to the town of Ma'ale Adumim, in which he himself was killed; Ibrahim Al-Nabulsi, who was responsible for a series of shooting attacks against Israelis, as well as Ra'd Khazem, who perpetrated a shooting in Tel Aviv, his brother 'Abd Al-Rahman Khazem, killed in clashes with the Israeli armed forces, and their father Fathi Khazem, a former officer in the Palestinian Authority's (PA) National Security Forces who joined the militants in Jenin and is wanted by the Israeli authorities.[1]   

The commemoration and glorification of terrorists finds expression in many school activities, both academic and social. For example, several days ago the school took pride in a tenth-grade physics exam in which one of the questions alluded to terrorist 'Uday Al-Tamimi. The physics teacher who composed the exam, Khalil Abu Sharkh, displayed the exam question on his Facebook page with the caption " Physics Scented with the Blood of the Martyrs." His post was shared on the Facebook accounts of the school, of its principal Ghaseb Al-Shab'an,  and of other teachers.

On his own Facebook page, the school  principal proudly displayed a drawing made by one of the students, depicting the moment of Al-Tamimi's death during the attack he carried out at the entrance to the town of Ma'ale Adumim.

The school also held a futsal tournament named after the terrorist Ibrahim Al-Nabulsi, and the students produced banners commemorating the martyrs and encouraging the terrorists in Nablus and Jenin. Glorification of terrorists is further evident in speeches delivered by the teachers at school ceremonies, and in social media posts by the teachers and the principal.

This report reviews some of the school activities commemorating terrorists and the expressions of support for them by the school principal and staff.

Futsal Tournament Named After Terrorist Ibrahim Al-Nabulsi

The school's 18th annual futsal tournament, launched on September 20, 2022, was named this year after Ibrahim Al-Nabulsi, the perpetrator of several recent shootings in the West Bank.[2] Posts announcing "the Martyr Ibrahim Al-Nabulsi Tournament" appeared on the Facebook pages of the school, of the principal and of many of the teachers. The school also uploaded a video that showed Al-Nabulsi armed with a rifle and explained that this year's  tournament had been named after him "because the martyrs are more honorable than us all."[3] 

The video posted on the school's Facebook page, showing Ibrahim Al-Nabulsi: "The martyrs are more honorable than us all."

After each match in the tournament, which is still ongoing, the students, teachers and principal pose for a photo in front of a banner bearing pictures of Al-Nabulsi and of his mother, who was much commended in the West Bank for expressing pride in his martyrdom and smiling as she carried his body at the funeral.[4]

School principal Ghaseb Al-Shab'an in front of banner announcing  "the Martyr Ibrahim Al-Nabulsi Tournament" (Facebook.com/GH122334, October 18, 2022)

School students and teachers pose with the tournament banner (Facebook.com/ALDahreiaSecondaryBoysSchool, September 17, 26, 2022)

Sign announcing the  "Martyr Ibrahim Al-Nabulsi Tournament" (Facebook.com/ALDahreiaSecondaryBoysSchool, September 23, 2022)

Praise For Terrorists In School Exams

Terrorists are featured even in exams administered at the school. On October 27, 2022, physics teacher Khalil Abu Sharkh, who is a Fatah activist and the deputy secretary of the movement's branch in Hebron, posted on his Facebook page a question from an exam in which he asked the students to calculate the length and the displacement of the path traveled by the terrorist 'Uday Al-Tamimi from the site of his first shooting to the site of the second shooting. The post was captioned "Physics scented with the blood of the martyrs – May Allah have mercy on the martyr 'Uday Al-Tamimi."[5] 

The picture of the exam question, and messages praising it, were also published on the Facebook pages of the school,  the principal and the teachers. [6] Tarek Wureidat, the school's Arabic teacher, noted in a post that the third part of the question, in which the students were asked to calculate the displacement of the path the terrorist would have traveled had he survived and been able to return from Shu'afat to Ma'ale Adumim, had been written by the principle himself, who used to be a physics teacher.[7]

The exam question mentioning 'Uday Al-Tamimi

Teacher Tarek Wureidat provided another example of praise for terrorists incorporated in everyday school materials when he proudly posted a photo of another exam paper, from October 23, 2022, which concludes with the words, "good luck, Lions Den."[8] The Lion's Den is a Nablus-based militia that has been responsible for a series of shooting attacks against Israelis in the last few months. 

Exam paper concluding with "Good luck, Lions Den"

School Principal Ghaseb Al-Shab'an Shares Student's Drawing Depicting Moment Of 'Uday Al-Tamimi's Death

On October 24, 2022, principal Ghaseb Al-Shab'an shared an exam paper submitted by one of the students, who drew a picture of 'Uday Al-Tamimi at the moment of his death in a gunfight with security guards at the entrance to Ma'ale Adumim. The principal wrote: "One of our students drew a picture of the martyr 'Uday Al-Tamimi at the moment of his martyrdom!!!... The martyr will live in our memory for generations, and will not die."[9]

Teacher Commends School For Creative Methods Of "Filling The Hearts Of The Students With Love Of The Homeland"

On October 27,  Arabic teacher Tarek Wureidat posted a Facebook message celebrating the activities carried out at the school in honor of "the martyrs of the homeland:" "Being a Palestinian teacher," he wrote, "means keeping the Palestinian cause forever in your conscience and drawing a link between national events and the lessons, the exams and [even] activities that are not part of the curriculum, like sports and culture activities. That is why the excellent teacher Bassam Joda named the futsal tournament after the martyr Ibrahim Al-Nabulsi. Also, look at the creativity of our students, who made banners glorifying the martyrs. Twelfth Grade Science Class 1 made a [banner] honoring Jenin and its martyrs, and [another] twelfth grade science class made a banner for the martyr 'Uday Al-Tamimi. They loudly applauded… Nablus, Jenin and the martyrs of the homeland. Moreover, in  a tenth-grade physics exam…. two physics teachers, Khalil Abu Sharkh and Muhammad 'Odeh… asked the students to calculate the length and displacement of the path traveled by the martyr Al-Tamimi, and the principal, [Ghaseb] Abu Hadi Shab'an, who used to be a physics teacher [as well], asked them to calculate the displacement of the path the martyr would have traveled had he lived to return to his refugee camp… Such is the Al-Zaharia high school for boys, which will remain an integral part of this homeland… and which fills the hearts of its students with love of the homeland. May our school remain a beacon of knowledge and a national beacon of the first order."[10]

Students pose with banner in honor of terrorist 'Uday Al-Tamimi at  the Martyr Ibrahim Al-Nabulsi Futsal Tournament (Facebook.com/tarek.Wureidat, October 27, 2022)

Banner honoring Jenin and terrorists from that city: 'Abd Al-Rahman Khazem (right) and his father Fathi Khazem (left) (Facebook.com/tarek.Wureidat, October 27, 2022)

Teacher In School Ceremony: We Support Ra'd Khazem, Ibrahim Al-Nabulsi, 'Uday Al-Tamimi

On October 25 teacher Tarek Wureidat posted a video of a speech he had given at a school ceremony, in which he praises Ibrahim Al-Nabulsi, 'Uday Al-Tamimi and Ra'd Khazem. In the accompanying message Wureidat quoted several lines from this speech: "We are supporters of the boy who challenged the [Israeli] tank, of Ra'd [Khazem], who turned the streets of Tel Aviv into Hell, of [Ibrahim] Al-Nabulsi, who oppressed the occupier and of 'Uday [Al-Tamimi], who drew death to himself and did not flee from it. We are supporters of Mahmoud Al-Banna, commander of the Lion's Den, and supporters of our security forces, who authored and are still authoring the finest and most glorious tales of heroism in the books of culture and history…"[11]

Principal, Teachers Praise Terrorists On Social Media

The school principal and several of its teachers frequently condone terrorists, terrorism and the ideal of martyrdom on social media as well. On July 24 principal Al-Shab'an posted footage of a funeral of terrorists from Nablus, and wrote: "Martyrdom means eternal life and a wonderful death. May Allah have mercy upon the martyrs."[12]  On August 9, following Al-Nabulsi's death, he wrote a series of posts in which he praised him and called him a hero, a revolutionary and a martyr,[13] and on October 18 he praised the Lions' Den militia in Nablus.[14]

Principal Al-Shab'an's post in praise of martyrdom

Physics teacher Khalil Abu Sharkh has likewise posted messages supporting terrorists and their actions. Following Al-Tamimi's death he wrote a series of posts extolling him,[15] and following Al-Nabulsi's death in August he did the same.[16] Recently he posted messages in support of members of the PA's security apparatuses who had joined the Lions' Den militia,[17] and in support of Fathi Khazem, the father of terrorists Ra'd and 'Abd Al-Rahman Khazem.[18]

Posts by Abu Sharkh in praise of Al-Tamimi (left) and Fathi Khazem (right)

The day after 'Uday Al-Tamimi's death, on October 20, the school's football coach, Bassam Joda, posted a photo of the school tournament, and commented: "…In the spirit of 'Uday [Al-Tamimi]."[19] On August 9 Joda wrote in praise of the mother of Ibrahim Al-Nabulsi.[20]