All Christian schools in Jerusalem suspend classes as Israel denies permits to over 70 teachers, staff

All Christian schools in Jerusalem announced Monday evening that they will suspend classes starting Tuesday after Israel failed to renew entry permits for more than 70 teachers and staff, preventing them from reaching their schools, Anadolu Agency reported.

The new academic year in Israel and Jerusalem is scheduled to begin Tuesday.

In a statement, the Christian schools in Jerusalem said that as they prepared to open for the 2026-2027 academic year, they were surprised by the “failure to renew entry permits for more than 70 teachers and employees from our educational, administrative and support staff, suddenly and without prior warning.”

They said the failure to renew the permits prevented the teachers and employees from reaching their schools and directly affected preparations for the start of the academic year.

The absence of such a large number of staff affects various aspects of school operations, including educational, administrative and health services, as well as cleaning and security and safety measures, the statement said.

The schools said the situation “makes it impossible to ensure a safe and stable start” to the academic year for students.

Following consultations and coordination with relevant parties, parents’ representatives and Jerusalem schools, they decided to suspend classes beginning Tuesday, 1st September.

READ: West Bank has become ‘a lawless land,’ says top Catholic in Jerusalem

The suspension will continue “until the necessary permits for teachers and employees are reissued and renewed, ensuring that the educational process proceeds safely and properly,” they added.

The schools stressed their commitment to students’ right to education, warning that repeated measures of this kind “undermine the stability of our schools and hinder their ability to fulfill their mission,” while negatively affecting students, their families and educational staff.

They called for the crisis to be resolved as soon as possible and for the permits to be renewed to allow students and staff to return to schools and the academic year to proceed normally.

Separately, Munther Isaac, pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, condemned the Israeli measure.

“Israel’s pressure on the Christian presence in Jerusalem continues,” Isaac said on US social media company X.

“Christian schools in the city are going on strike because Israel refuses to issue permits to their West Bank teachers,” he added.

Since October 2023, Israel has restricted entry permits for Palestinian workers from the occupied West Bank, including teachers, coinciding with the start of the genocidal war in the Gaza Strip.

READ: UNRWA says over $5M in assets at Jerusalem training center at risk after Israeli raid