Israel denies Palestinian teachers permits, paralysing Christian schools in East Jerusalem

Israel has taken steps that have disrupted the start of the academic year for Christian schools in East Jerusalem by refusing to renew entry permits for more than 70 Palestinian staff members from the occupied West Bank. This decision has left schools closed until permits are renewed, affecting approximately 8,500 students. The move has been described as part of a broader effort to limit the presence and influence of Palestinian Christians in the city.

Bethlehem clergyman Mitri Raheb expressed concern that this action is another step in an ongoing campaign against the church’s presence in Jerusalem, warning that the Christian community in the city is at risk of being erased. Historian Zachary Foster noted that the decision reflects a pattern of double standards, with Israeli Jews living in settlements in the West Bank able to enter Jerusalem without difficulty, while Palestinian teachers face barriers.

At the same time, about 45,000 East Jerusalem students attending Israeli-run schools are required to follow the Israeli curriculum, as part of a broader strategy to control the cultural and historical narratives that Palestinian children are exposed to. Raheb described this as part of a settler colonial effort to make native people unlearn their own history and adopt a settler-colonial narrative.

Israel has occupied East Jerusalem since 1967. Many Palestinian families fled to the city after the Nakba in 1948, while a smaller number of Jewish residents left and have since been able to reclaim property they allegedly owned. Palestinian refugees, however, are not granted similar rights. Despite the smaller number of Palestinian Christians in East Jerusalem, they face significant challenges, including poverty and the threat of eviction or demolition by Israeli authorities.

The situation in East Jerusalem is part of a larger pattern of ethnic cleansing and displacement. Israeli authorities have also targeted UN property in the occupied city, aiming to weaken support for Palestinian refugees. Former UN special rapporteur Michael Lynk has documented an increase in attacks against Christians in Jerusalem, which he says extend throughout Palestine and beyond.

In the occupied West Bank, recent actions have included the demolition of a Christian family’s home and farmland, as well as the forced displacement of another family from the Christian town of Taybeh due to illegal settler activity. Church leaders in Taybeh have condemned these escalating attacks on residents, highlighting the growing insecurity faced by the Christian community.

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