The Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education issued a statement on the education system in East Jerusalem, saying that Israeli authorities were carrying out systematic practices aimed at erasing Palestinians’ national identity. The ministry listed the imposition of Israel’s curriculum and the blocking of teachers’ access to schools among these practices.
The Palestinian Jerusalem Governorate also warned one day before the start of the academic year that Israel’s curriculum would be applied to more than 45,000 Palestinian first- and seventh-grade students at schools operated by the Israeli municipality.
Strike at schools over teachers’ entry permits
Some private schools in Jerusalem went on strike on the first day of the academic year. The strike followed Israeli authorities’ refusal to issue entry permits to teachers from the West Bank who work at these schools.
The Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education said that some male and female teachers and education workers, particularly those employed at Christian schools, were unable to reach their schools because their entry permits had not been renewed. The ministry said the permit problems directly affected the orderly start of the academic year.
Call to protect the national curriculum
The ministry said that Israeli authorities’ practices also affected schools operated by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees and the national curriculum. The statement also said that the construction of school buildings had been obstructed.
The Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education stressed that Palestinian students in Jerusalem have an inalienable right, guaranteed by international conventions, to receive an education and study under the national curriculum.
The ministry also called on the international community to take urgent action and exert pressure to halt these practices. It said it would continue working with the relevant parties to ensure the regular continuation of education in Jerusalem’s schools and protect Palestinian students’ right to education.
Entry to East Jerusalem requires a special permit
Palestinians living in the West Bank require special permits to enter occupied East Jerusalem for work, education, health care and worship. The permit process is carried out under strict restrictions and security procedures.
A law passed by Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, in January 2026 prohibits teachers who obtained their academic degrees from institutions affiliated with the Palestinian Authority from working in Israel’s education system.
According to a report previously published by the Haaretz newspaper, the law directly affects approximately 6,700 teachers working in East Jerusalem’s Arab education system. The report said that at least 60 percent of these teachers obtained their bachelor’s degrees from Palestinian academic institutions.
