Christian schools in East Jerusalem face the risk of disruption because teachers and staff living in the West Bank cannot reach their schools. The Palestinian Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs has called on churches worldwide to take urgent international action.
The committee said some employees had been denied entry permits to East Jerusalem or had their existing permits refused renewal. As a result, teachers and other staff members cannot travel to their schools and workplaces.
Warning for the 2026–2027 academic year
The committee said the measures had forced Christian educational institutions into an indefinite strike. It said the 2026–2027 academic year was at risk and that students had been unable to return to their classrooms.
The committee described the developments as part of broader and increasingly intensive restrictions on Palestinian education in Jerusalem.
Measures targeting Palestinian education
The committee also criticized Israel’s implementation of its own curriculum in Palestinian schools and a law passed by the Knesset in January. The law bans teachers who hold academic degrees from higher education institutions in Palestine from working in Israel’s education system.
The committee argued that these policies weaken Jerusalem’s identity. It said the measures were inconsistent with international law and United Nations resolutions that define East Jerusalem as occupied territory, and also conflict with the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
International appeal over the schools’ role
“Education is not a privilege but a right,” the committee said, adding that Christian educational institutions are an integral part of Jerusalem’s history as well as the church’s mission and presence in the city.
The committee said the schools serve generations of Muslim and Christian Palestinians. It stressed that the institutions’ historic role must be preserved.
The committee called on churches worldwide to use their international relations to secure and renew entry permits to East Jerusalem for affected employees. It also urged the reopening of the schools, the safe return of teachers and students to their classrooms, and continued support for educational and church institutions in Jerusalem.
Special permits required to enter East Jerusalem
Palestinians living in the West Bank must obtain special permits to enter occupied East Jerusalem for work, education, health care and worship.
The law passed in January bans the employment in Israel’s education system of teachers who hold academic degrees from higher education institutions linked to the Palestinian Authority. The measure particularly affects the Arab education system in East Jerusalem, where at least 60 percent of the 6,700 teachers hold bachelor’s degrees from academic institutions in Palestine.
Israel has controlled East Jerusalem since 1967 and considers the city part of its capital. The move has not gained broad international recognition, while Palestinians view East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.
