Israel to revoke East Jerusalem entry permits for 180 Palestinian teachers
Palestinian teachers commuting from the West Bank to East Jerusalem schools face permit revocations amid broader curriculum and classroom restrictions.
At a glance
- Israel will revoke East Jerusalem entry permits for 180 Palestinian teachers when they expire at the end of the 2026-27 academic year.
- Palestinian students studying the Israeli curriculum in East Jerusalem have risen from hundreds 15 years ago to over 45,000 this year.
- Ir Amim says East Jerusalem schools lack 2,283 classrooms, with a projected shortfall of about 1,100 by 2032.
Israeli authorities are revoking travel permits for 180 Palestinian teachers who commute from the occupied West Bank to schools in occupied East Jerusalem, with the permits expiring at the end of the 2026-27 academic year, Al Jazeera reported. The measure is part of wider restrictions on Palestinian education in the city, including curriculum changes and a severe classroom shortage.
Jamal Shalabi, a 66-year-old chemistry teacher from el-Bireh in the West Bank, has taught in East Jerusalem since 1998. He said permit issuance was delayed until September 15 this year, two weeks after the academic year began, and was also delayed in January. The delays prompted school strikes. Even when approved, permits restrict teachers to specific hours and the school premises, preventing visits to the Al-Aqsa Mosque or student field trips. Teachers were also barred from entering Jerusalem for a full week during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.
Curriculum and funding pressure
An Israeli government plan described as aiming to "reduce socioeconomic gaps" conditions funding for new schools on adopting the Israeli curriculum. According to the Israeli human rights organisation Ir Amim, about half of the education budget under the plan supports expanding that curriculum. The number of Palestinian students in East Jerusalem studying the Israeli curriculum has grown from only hundreds 15 years ago to more than 45,000 in the 2026-27 academic year, roughly 38 percent of the total student population, according to Palestinian officials and figures cited by Ir Amim.
An anonymous East Jerusalem school principal told Al Jazeera that schools risk losing funding, financial support, and operating licences if they refuse to introduce Israeli curriculum classes. The principal described classroom inspections, searches of students' bags to confiscate Palestinian textbooks, and direct intervention in staff appointments. Al Jazeera said it contacted Israeli authorities but had not received a response.
Classroom shortage
Ir Amim calculates a deficit of 2,283 classrooms in East Jerusalem schools and projects a shortfall of about 1,100 classrooms by 2032 even if municipal construction plans are completed. The Jerusalem Municipality estimates the current shortage at about 1,500 classrooms, a figure Ir Amim disputes as relying on outdated data. Ramadan Awad, spokesperson for the Union of Parents' Committees for Jerusalem Schools, said some classrooms hold as many as 42 students and that some schools are renting apartments or commercial properties to use as classrooms.
Source: Al Jazeera.
Questions and answers
- Why are 180 Palestinian teachers losing permits to enter East Jerusalem?
- Their travel permits allowing entry into East Jerusalem will be revoked when they expire at the end of the 2026-27 academic year, according to the school administration.
- How many Palestinian students in East Jerusalem study the Israeli curriculum?
- More than 45,000 students, about 38 percent of the total student population, are studying the Israeli curriculum in the 2026-27 academic year, according to Palestinian officials.
- What is the classroom shortage in East Jerusalem schools?
- Ir Amim calculates a deficit of 2,283 classrooms and projects about 1,100 will still be missing by 2032. The Jerusalem Municipality estimates the current shortage at about 1,500 classrooms.
