Silwad Girls Secondary School Wins the 9th Season of the National Knowledge Competition (2025/2026)
Yasser Arafat Foundation announced that Silwad Girls Secondary School won first place in the ninth season (2025/2026) of the National Knowledge Competition during the final round held on Thursday, May 7, 2026, at Al-Muntada Hall of the Yasser Arafat Museum. Al-Rama Mixed Secondary School secured second place, while Al-Hajj Radwan and Al-Hajjah Souad Abu Sneineh Private School came in third.
The event was attended by Dr. Ahmad Soboh, Chairman of the Board of the Yasser Arafat Foundation; Sadeq Al-Khoudour, Assistant Undersecretary for Student Affairs at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education; Dr. Odeh Musharqa, Director General of the Foundation; Mohammad Salem, Director General of Student Activities at the Ministry of Education; representatives from both the foundation and the ministry; participating students’ families; and students from several schools.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Soboh welcomed the audience and emphasized the importance of the National Knowledge Competition and its continuation for a ninth consecutive year, highlighting its role in strengthening Palestinian national identity among students, expanding their knowledge, and preserving the heritage and struggle of the Palestinian national movement. He noted that student participation and public interest in the competition have continued to grow within families and the wider community.
Dr. Soboh added that although this is the competition’s ninth season, it is the second consecutive year without the participation of students from Gaza because of the ongoing Israeli assault and its devastating consequences, which have destroyed Gaza’s infrastructure and daily life, including schools, kindergartens, universities, and educational institutions.
He further stressed the importance of investing in school students as future leaders who will carry the Palestinian narrative forward toward independence and statehood. He also pointed out that the foundation has expanded its educational initiatives into Palestinian universities through the launch of the Yasser Arafat Award for Research and Studies, aimed at increasing awareness, deepening knowledge, and strengthening national identity among youth.
Dr. Soboh expressed pride in the partnership between the foundation and the Ministry of Education, including directorates, schools, students, and supervisors, in promoting what he described as one of the foundation’s flagship programs. He also praised the continued cooperation with the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation in bringing the competition and its message into Palestinian and Arab homes through television broadcasts. He affirmed the foundation’s openness to evaluating and further developing the competition following eight successful seasons.
Speaking on behalf of Minister of Education and Higher Education Prof. Dr. Amjad Barham, Sadeq Al-Khoudour stated that the National Knowledge Competition serves as an educational resource designed to reinforce the foundations of Palestinian identity and honor the legacy of the late Yasser Arafat. He stressed that knowledge in students’ minds is “a fetus in the womb of memory,” rather than merely lines in a textbook, ensuring that Palestine remains resistant to erasure and oblivion.
Al-Khoudour noted that concluding the ninth season beside the mausoleum of the late Palestinian leader symbolizes that loyalty and belonging are values inherited like the land itself. He added that although Gaza is forcibly absent from the competition because of the ongoing genocide, it remains inseparable from the Palestinian state and collective consciousness. He also praised the strategic partnership between the Yasser Arafat Foundation and the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation in building a generation firmly committed to the justice of its cause.
The ceremony also included patriotic poetry recited by student Nada Moatasem from Al-Karama Upper Basic School and a recitation from the Holy Quran by student Majd Al-Din Al-Taj from Al-Bireh Islamic Boys School.
The event concluded with an awards ceremony honoring the winners and participants. Former Director General of Student Activities Hamed Abu Mukh was also recognized for his pioneering role in supporting the competition since its launch.
The first-place team from Silwad Girls Secondary School received laptop computers and a cash prize of $400 for each of the three participating students. The second-place team from Al-Rama Mixed Secondary School received iPads and $300 for each student, while the third-place team from Al-Hajj Radwan and Al-Hajjah Souad Abu Sneineh Private School received tablets and $200 for each participating student.
