JERUSALEM, 05 Sept. - (ANA) - All Christian schools in Jerusalem have closed in protest at an Israeli decision to refuse to renew permits for over 70 teachers and school staff members from the occupied West Bank to enter, leaving over 8,500 students affected, in a move experts say is an effort to further divide and annex east Jerusalem .

 

The suspension of classes was announced in a statement late on Sunday by the General Secretariat for Christian Educational Institutions in Jerusalem.

 

“As our schools prepare for the opening of the new 2026–2027 academic year, we were unfortunately surprised, once again, by the non-renewal of entry permits for more than 70 teachers and employees from our educational, administrative, and support staff,” the statement read.

 

“This occurred suddenly and without prior notice, preventing them from reaching their schools and directly affecting the schools’ readiness for the opening of the academic year,” the statement continued.

 

The statement added that the schools were unable to guarantee a safe and functioning start of the school year due to imperative staff, such as those working in administration roles and health and safety services as well as education being unable to get to the school.

 

The suspension of the schools started on Tuesday and will continue “until the necessary permits for teachers and staff are reissued and renewed,” the statement emphasised.

 

It further condemned what it said was the reoccurrence of measures which undermine the stability and continuity of schools and have negative consequences on students, their families and society as a whole.

 

The Israeli decision to not renew the staff’s permits has triggered widespread condemnation from activists and the Palestinian Christian community.

 

Zachary Foster, who has a PhD in Near Eastern Studies and is a historian of Palestine told The New Arab that the move to not renew the permits fits into the broader pattern of Israel trying to cut off east Jerusalem from the occupied West Bank, which he says has been happening for decades.

 

"Israel does this when it comes to elections, Israel tries to cut-off east Jerusalem from the rest of the west bank and ensure that Palestinians in east Jerusalem are not able to vote in Palestinian authority elections, Israel does this with for example issuing permits to visit the al-Aqsa mosque, preventing west bank Palestinians from entering Jerusalem for any reason at all, including praying at al Aqsa," he said, noting the seperation wall dividing Palestinian communities on both sides was another example. 

 

"So this attempt to prevent the staff from coming to Jerusalem to teach Christian students, yes of course, it’s because they’re Palestinian. Israeli jews that live in settlements in the West Bank can enter Jerusalem without any problems. More specifically its because Israel's goal is to sever east Jerusalem from from the rest of the West Bank as part of its annexation policies, and incorporating it into the state of israel, that is the core of the issue here," Foster continued.

 

Palestinian Christian pastor Munther Isaac also weighed in on the matter on social media platform X, writing: “Israel’s pressure on the Christian presence in Jerusalem continues”.

 

Armenian schools, including the Sts. Tarkmanchatz School in Jerusalem's Armenian Quarter, are taking part in the suspension of classes.

 

 The latest development comes after the former UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian Territories, Michael Lynk, said that the targeting of Christians in Palestine was directly linked to the fact that they are Palestinians.

 

Lynk noted there was a rise in attacks on Christians in Jerusalem, including an assault on a nun, while settlers have also attacked churches in recent years.

 

Amid the disruption to Palestinian Christian schools, around 45,000 students in east Jerusalem are beginning their first or seventh grade while being required to study the Israeli curriculum.

 

The affected students are those who attend the 105 schools run by Israel in east Jerusalem.

 

Since 2018, the Israeli government has given incentives, such as more funding, for schools that adopt its curriculum, Haaretz reported.

 

The move has prompted concerns that Israeli authorities are trying to erase Palestinian identity, narratives and history.

 

Jerusalem governorate spokesperson, Maarouf al-Rifai, said the measure was a “dangerous and unprecedented escalation since 1967” and an attempt to exert Israeli control and narratives in the Palestinian education system.

 

Schools in east Jerusalem have long educated students using the Jordanian curriculum, and schools operated by the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank are teaching a curriculum approved by the Palestinian Ministry of Education.   - (ANA) - 

 

AB/ANA/05 September 2026 - - -