According to the terms set by President Trump on October 9, 2025, as part of his 20-Point Peace Plan, Hamas must completely disarm for any agreement to move forward. Total and absolute demilitarization is required. President Trump has said, “Hamas was born with rifles in their hands.” This statement highlights one of the major long-term problems Israel faces.
Hamas—and the Palestinian Authority as well—continue to produce textbooks for first graders that openly call for the killing and murder of Jews. Since the Oslo Accords were signed on September 13, 1993, the educational systems in Ramallah and Gaza have persistently promoted Israel’s destruction and glorified the stabbing and shooting of Jews. Despite repeated efforts by many American politicians to change this, little has actually happened in more than 30 years.
If a genuine culture of peace is ever to be achieved, both Hamas and the PA must disarm their textbooks. The savagery, butchery, atrocities, rape, and murder committed by Hamas against Israel on October 7 were the direct result of years of indoctrinating Gaza’s youth to carry out precisely those acts. Disarming Hamas militarily is a necessary first step, but disarming their educational system is equally critical.
This goes beyond textbooks. The teachers themselves require a massive overhaul—most are aligned with and affiliated with Hamas. Education is the foundation of success and peace. Before skyscrapers can rise, schools must be set right.
Hamas is already violating the ceasefire on a daily basis and has begun making outrageous demands, including integrating hundreds of its terrorists into the security apparatus and preserving its status as a political faction in Palestinian Authority elections. This is exactly how they seized total control of Gaza in 2007. Turkey and Qatar, Hamas’s biggest backers, are no doubt lobbying for these conditions. Instead of helping Hamas regain strength, they should be working to improve the education of Gaza’s youth.
If the education of Gazans remains unchanged, they will attempt another October 7. President Trump is the only leader they fear and respect. He has a historic opportunity to turn Gaza into a success story—I know he very much wants that to happen. The key is not simply pumping money into a rebuild. The key is to revamp and redesign the entire educational system of both the PA and Hamas.
Education is always the answer. If the education can be fixed, peace becomes possible. It is essential.
Joseph M. Frager is a physician and lifelong activist.
