Palestinian students strike as Israel bans access to West Bank teachers
Palestinian students at an UNRWA school in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan, 30 January 2024
Al Jazeera reports on 14 January 2026:
At least 25,000 students in occupied East Jerusalem are taking part in a strike after Israel prevented access to teachers from the occupied West Bank.
The strike was called by the General Secretariat of Christian Educational Institutions in Jerusalem and later joined by all private schools in East Jerusalem.
It follows Israel’s decision to limit the number of days on which work permits are granted to teachers from the West Bank. Under Israeli rules, Palestinians must obtain a permit from the Israeli military to cross checkpoints separating the West Bank from East Jerusalem.
Mustafa Barghouti, secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative party, said on Wednesday that 13 Christian schools were taking part in the strike and others were preparing to do the same. “The reason goes deeper than just the issue of the teachers. It reflects dismay about the Israeli-imposed illegal rules,” he wrote on X without elaborating.
The Times of Israel quoted Richard Zananiri, director of the private St George’s School, as saying the restrictions affect more than half of the roughly 300 teachers employed across all private schools in the city.
“We are not happy that children are staying at home,” Zananiri said, adding that discussions were ongoing with Israeli authorities to ensure the resumption of all activities.
The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that the Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education slammed Israel’s move as a serious violation of the right to education. According to the report, the ministry charged that Israel’s actions were part of a systematic policy aimed at undermining Palestinian identity in East Jerusalem.