RAMALLAH, January 14, 2026 (WAFA) — The Higher Presidential Higher Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine condemned on Wednesday Israeli restrictions on the access of West Bank teachers to schools in occupied East Jerusalem.
The Committee affirmed its absolute rejection of the occupation authorities’ measures targeting Palestinian schools and educational institutions, particularly Christian schools in the occupied Jerusalem, slamming Israel’s decision to limit the number of days on which work permits are granted to teachers from the West Bank as an arbitrary and systematic measure that have disrupted the educational process and deprived hundreds of students of their fundamental right to education.
It said that these practices constitute a flagrant and systematic violation of rights guaranteed under the International Humanitarian Law and the International Human Rights Law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and cannot be justified by any “security pretext.”
It elaborated that the regime of entry permits and military checkpoints imposed by the Israeli occupation serve as the primary tool for disrupting Palestinian education, and is employed to deny teachers access to their schools, restrict their movement, and undermine educational institutions. This, the Committee added, reflects a policy of systematic racial discrimination, and amounts to collective punishment prohibited under international law.
It noted that Christian schools in the occupied city of Jerusalem were being a direct target of Israeli occupation measures and restrictions, which strike at the core of the educational process and students’ right to education.
It further stated that the occupation authorities have suspended the entry permits of a large number of teachers from the West Bank, while restricting the number of days granted to others.
It confirmed that these arbitrary measures affected 171 teachers and staff members, disrupted the anticipated start of the second semester on Saturday, January 10, and constraining the educational process.
It stressed that these Israeli measures targeting Palestinian teachers and enforced under security pretexts are in fact intended to undermine Palestinian education and weaken the Palestinian presence in Jerusalem as part of Israel’s long-term policy aimed at sowing frustration among students and teachers.
K.F.
