Jerusalem: The Higher Presidential Higher Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine condemned Israeli restrictions on the access of West Bank teachers to schools in occupied East Jerusalem.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the Committee expressed its outright rejection of the measures imposed by the occupation authorities, which specifically target Palestinian schools and educational institutions, including Christian schools in the occupied Jerusalem. The Committee criticized Israel's decision to limit the number of days work permits are granted to teachers from the West Bank, describing it as an arbitrary measure that has disrupted the educational process and deprived hundreds of students of their fundamental right to education.
The Committee emphasized that such practices represent a clear violation of rights protected under International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It argued that these actions cannot be justified by any 'security pretext.'
Further elaborating, the Committee noted that the regime of entry permits and military checkpoints imposed by the Israeli occupation serves as the main obstacle to Palestinian education. This system is used to deny teachers access to their schools, restrict their movement, and undermine educational institutions, reflecting a policy of racial discrimination and collective punishment, which is prohibited under international law.
The Committee highlighted that Christian schools in occupied Jerusalem are particularly targeted by Israeli occupation measures and restrictions, which directly affect the educational process and infringe upon students' right to education.