East Jerusalem teachers strike over forced Israeli curriculum and blocked permits
Private and Christian schools in East Jerusalem began an open-ended strike after Israel required the Israeli curriculum for new grades and stopped entry permits for West Bank teachers.
The academic term opened with a sweeping strike by teachers at private and Christian schools in occupied East Jerusalem after Israeli authorities ordered new first- and seventh-grade classes to adopt the Israeli curriculum exclusively. At the same time, Israel stopped issuing entry permits for West Bank teachers, affecting over 45,000 Palestinian pupils who will now study under the Israeli system, a fourfold rise from six years ago.
Jerusalem Governorate spokesman Marouf al-Rifai called the forced curriculum a cultural and educational crime, emphasizing its impact on memory and identity. Hamas official Haroun Nasser el-Din echoed the sentiment, saying education is a core pillar in Jerusalem’s struggle. Christian school representatives, including Sylvia Amer of College des Freres Jerusalem and Mike Bassam Farraj of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate Schools, condemned the sudden permit revocations and new Knesset legislation that bars teachers with Palestinian Authority degrees, describing the measures as systematic pressure and financial coercion.
Why it matters
The strike highlights escalating control over education in occupied East Jerusalem, affecting thousands of students and deepening cultural tensions.
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