West Bank01 September, 20262 min read
Israeli Permit Failures Trigger Strike At Christian Schools In Occupied East Jerusalem
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More than 70 teachers and staff unable to reach Jerusalem Christian/private schools due to unrenewed permits. East Jerusalem Christian schools suspend classes at start of new academic year.
Permit blocks trigger strikes
Palestinian private schools, including Christian schools, in occupied East Jerusalem began a strike on Tuesday at the start of the new academic year after Israeli authorities failed to renew entry permits for teachers and administrative staff from the occupied West Bank. TRT World said private school administrators announced that classes would be suspended from Tuesday until further notice and would resume once Israeli authorities renew permits for all affected teachers and employees.
Christian schools in East Jerusalem separately announced the suspension of classes from Tuesday, saying Israel had failed to renew entry permits for more than 70 teachers and employees from the occupied West Bank, preventing them from reaching their schools. Israel requires Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank to obtain special permits to enter occupied East Jerusalem, including for work, education, medical treatment and worship, and the new academic year began on Tuesday in Israel and East Jerusalem.
Dozens of teachers kept out
Al-Jazira Net reported that Haaretz said preventing Israeli authorities from allowing teachers from the West Bank into East Jerusalem led to an almost impossible start to the school year as administrations announced a general strike starting Tuesday until further notice. Al-Jazira Net quoted a statement from the owners of the private schools saying the decision to suspend came because "the occupation authorities did not renew the entry permits for a large number of teachers and staff without prior notice".
Latest news from Azerbaijan said Christian schools in Jerusalem announced Monday evening they would suspend classes from Tuesday after Israel failed to renew entry permits for more than 70 teachers and staff, leaving them unable to reach their schools. In a statement, the Christian schools said the failure to renew the permits was "suddenly and without prior warning," and that the absence of such a large number of staff affected education, administrative and health services, as well as cleaning and security and safety measures.
Curriculum shift and pressure
Haaretz reported that for the first time since Israel annexed East Jerusalem in 1967, all newly opened grades in public schools in the Palestinian-majority area will use the Israeli curriculum when the school year begins Tuesday. In the same Haaretz account, the paper framed the school-year start as a change in education policy in East Jerusalem, while Al-Jazira Net described the permit denials as making it impossible to open the school year as usual.
Latest news from Azerbaijan quoted Munther Isaac, pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, condemning the permit restrictions, saying on X: "Israel’s pressure on the Christian presence in Jerusalem continues." Isaac added, "Christian schools in the city are going on strike because Israel refuses to issue permits to their West Bank teachers," as the schools said their suspension would continue until the necessary permits are reissued and renewed.