On first day of school, Israel takes unprecedented steps against Palestinian children – 2 articles
(1/2) Israel to impose its curriculum on over 45,000 Palestinian students in East Jerusalem: Official
By Rania Abushamala, reposted from Anadolu Agency, August 31, 2026
Israel will impose its curriculum on more than 45,000 Palestinian students in occupied East Jerusalem during the 2026-27 academic year, a Palestinian official said Monday, warning that the move targets the national and cultural identity of generations of Palestinians in the city.
Jerusalem Governorate spokesperson Maarouf al-Rifai said the Israeli curriculum will be imposed on all new classes opening Tuesday in Israeli-run municipal schools in East Jerusalem, including first and seventh grades.
He described the decision as a “dangerous and unprecedented escalation since 1967” and a direct targeting of the national and cultural identity of Palestinian students in Jerusalem.
Al-Rifai said the measure forms part of a “systematic policy” targeting Palestinian education in Jerusalem and seeking to replace the Palestinian curriculum with the Israeli narrative.
Citing figures published by Israeli newspaper Haaretz, he said 39,363 Palestinian students at 105 municipal schools will study the Israeli curriculum during the new academic year, along with 5,085 students at institutions classified as “recognized but unofficial.”
The total exceeds 45,000 students, representing around 38% of nearly 120,000 Palestinian students in East Jerusalem, he added.
Al-Rifai said the number of students studying the Israeli curriculum has risen sharply in recent years, from 10,347 in the 2020-21 academic year to 19,402 in 2024-25 and 27,041 in 2025-26.
He said the shift follows years of Israeli pressure on Palestinian educational institutions, including measures targeting school administrations and linking some funding to curriculum-related conditions.
Al-Rifai also cited Israel’s takeover of two educational compounds previously operated by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in the Shuafat and Kafr Aqab refugee camps.
According to available information, Israeli authorities plan to open 14 secondary-school classes, an elementary school and five kindergartens at the Shuafat compound, as well as a boys’ secondary school at the Kafr Aqab compound, he said.
Al-Rifai argued that imposing the curriculum of an occupying power on Palestinians in an occupied city constitutes a “serious violation of international humanitarian law.”
He said the Fourth Geneva Convention places obligations on the occupying power toward civilians, including protecting children and ensuring the continued functioning of educational institutions.
The Palestinian official said the issue goes beyond an administrative or educational measure and directly affects Palestinian “awareness, memory and national identity,” accusing Israel of removing or marginalizing subjects related to Palestinian history, including the Nakba, prisoners and Jerusalem.
He called on UNESCO, UN agencies and other international organizations to intervene to halt the measures and protect Palestinian educational institutions and the right to education.
Al-Rifai said Palestinians’ adherence to their curriculum “is not merely an attachment to a textbook, but a defense of memory, identity, history and the right to determine the national narrative.”
Rania Abushamala is a journalist for Anadolu based in Istanbul.
(2/2) All Christian schools in Jerusalem suspend classes as Israel denies permits to over 70 teachers, staff
The schools stressed students’ right to education, warning that Israel’s measures “undermine the stability of our schools and hinder their ability to fulfill their mission.”
By Mohammed Hamood Ali Al Ragawi and Rania Abushamala, reposted from Anadolu Agency, August 31, 2026
All Christian schools in Jerusalem announced Monday evening that they will suspend classes starting Tuesday after Israel failed to renew entry permits for more than 70 teachers and staff, preventing them from reaching their schools.
The new academic year in Israel and Jerusalem is scheduled to begin Tuesday.
In a statement, the Christian schools in Jerusalem said that as they prepared to open for the 2026-2027 academic year, they were surprised by the “failure to renew entry permits for more than 70 teachers and employees from our educational, administrative and support staff, suddenly and without prior warning.”
They said the failure to renew the permits prevented the teachers and employees from reaching their schools and directly affected preparations for the start of the academic year.
The absence of such a large number of staff affects various aspects of school operations, including educational, administrative and health services, as well as cleaning and security and safety measures, the statement said.
The schools said the situation “makes it impossible to ensure a safe and stable start” to the academic year for students.
Following consultations and coordination with relevant parties, parents’ representatives and Jerusalem schools, they decided to suspend classes beginning Tuesday, Sept. 1.
The suspension will continue “until the necessary permits for teachers and employees are reissued and renewed, ensuring that the educational process proceeds safely and properly,” they added.
The schools stressed their commitment to students’ right to education, warning that repeated measures of this kind “undermine the stability of our schools and hinder their ability to fulfill their mission,” while negatively affecting students, their families and educational staff.
They called for the crisis to be resolved as soon as possible and for the permits to be renewed to allow students and staff to return to schools and the academic year to proceed normally.
Separately, Munther Isaac, pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, condemned the Israeli measure.
“Israel’s pressure on the Christian presence in Jerusalem continues,” Isaac said on US social media company X.
“Christian schools in the city are going on strike because Israel refuses to issue permits to their West Bank teachers,” he added.
Since October 2023, Israel has restricted entry permits for Palestinian workers from the occupied West Bank, including teachers, coinciding with the start of the genocidal war in the Gaza Strip.
Mohammed Hamood Ali Al Ragawi is an editor for Anadolu
Rania Abushamala is a journalist for Anadolu based in Istanbul.
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