PALESTINIAN CHURCHES CALL FOR GLOBAL ACTION TO PROTECT CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS IN JERUSALEM

Fri 05 September 2026:

The Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine on Wednesday urged churches worldwide to take “immediate action” to save Christian schools in Jerusalem after Israel barred teachers and staff from the occupied West Bank from reaching their schools.

In a statement, the committee said authorities refused to issue or renew entry permits for several teachers and staff from the West Bank, preventing them from reaching their schools and workplaces.

The measures “have forced Christian educational institutions to declare an open-ended strike, placing the 2026–2027 academic year at risk and preventing students from returning to their classrooms,” it said.

It warned that the measures are “part of a broader and intensifying escalation of restrictions on Palestinian education in Jerusalem.”

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The committee cited Israel’s imposition of its curriculum on Palestinian schools and a law passed by the Knesset in January concerning the employment of graduates of Palestinian higher education institutions.

It said the policies “undermine the identity of Jerusalem” and contradict international law and UN resolutions that affirm that East Jerusalem is occupied territory, as well as provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

“Education is a right, not a privilege,” said the committee, stressing that “Christian educational institutions are an integral part of Jerusalem’s history and of the Church’s mission and presence in the city. Having served generations of the Palestinian people, Christians and Muslims alike, these institutions have a historic role that must be protected.”

It urged churches around the world “to use their standing and international relationships” to demand the issuance and renewal of permits for affected staff and ensure that schools reopen and teachers and students can safely return to their classrooms.

The committee also urged continued support for educational and church institutions in Jerusalem and international action to halt “ongoing Israeli violations.”

Israel requires Palestinians living in the West Bank to obtain special permits to enter occupied East Jerusalem for work, education, medical treatment and worship.

In January, the Knesset passed a law banning the employment of teachers who earned their academic degrees from institutions affiliated with the Palestinian Authority in Israel’s education system.

The law particularly affects the Arab education system in East Jerusalem, which employs 6,700 teachers, at least 60% of whom hold bachelor’s degrees from Palestinian academic institutions, according to a previous report by the Haaretz newspaper.

Israel has occupied East Jerusalem since 1967 and considers it part of its capital, a move that has not gained broad international recognition. Palestinians seek East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

-Source: AA

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