Strike in Jerusalem Schools Due to Prevention of West Bank Teachers from Accessing

SadaNews - 25,000 students in Jerusalem continue their strike for the second day due to the prevention of West Bank teachers from joining the city's schools.

The Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education stated that the ongoing occupation measures against the education sector in occupied Jerusalem, the latest of which was the failure to issue the necessary permits for hundreds of teachers and staff holding West Bank ID, constitute a serious and blatant violation of the right to education.

The ministry clarified in a statement issued today, Tuesday, that these measures forced private schools in Jerusalem to suspend their activities over the past two days, in order to preserve the educational process and the safety of their staff.

It considered that this unjust decision comes as part of a systematic policy targeting the components of Palestinian identity in the capital, and constitutes an extension of the campaigns of restriction, Judaization, and Israeliization that affect the foundations of education in the holy city.

The ministry confirmed that education in Jerusalem is a red line, stressing that the occupation restrictions disrupt the right to education and movement, undermining the foundations of the educational process, noting that it will follow up on this issue with all local and international bodies, to ensure the protection of the right to education, and to support the steadfastness of schools, educational staff, and students in the face of these policies.

The ministry called on the international community and international organizations, especially UNESCO and UNICEF, to take responsibility regarding these violations, which are inconsistent with international agreements, charters, and relevant international legitimacy decisions.