**All Christian Schools in Jerusalem Closed Indefinitely Due to Permit Issues**
Christian schools in Jerusalem have announced an indefinite delay in the start of the new academic year, following the refusal of Israeli authorities to renew entry permits for over 70 teachers and staff residing in the occupied West Bank. The decision to suspend school attendance was made public by the General Secretariat for Christian Educational Institutions in Jerusalem, which stated that the permits were “suddenly and without prior notice” not renewed.
Palestinians holding West Bank identification cards typically require Israeli-issued permits to cross checkpoints into East Jerusalem. The failure to renew these permits has left the schools unable to guarantee a safe and stable environment for students, leading to the suspension of classes starting September 1, 2026. The Secretariat emphasized its commitment to students' right to education but acknowledged that the current situation makes it impossible to begin the academic year as planned.
This incident occurs against a backdrop of increasing concerns regarding the treatment of Palestinians and Christian communities in Israel and the occupied territories. In early August, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen publicly criticized U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, calling for his resignation. Van Hollen's remarks were directed at Huckabee's handling of violence in the West Bank, which has included attacks on Palestinian Christian communities.
The tension surrounding Christian institutions in the region has been exacerbated by several high-profile incidents involving Israeli soldiers. In April, a video surfaced showing an Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldier destroying a statue of Jesus with a sledgehammer in the Lebanese town of Dibil. This act, which occurred during an Israeli military operation in the area, sparked outrage globally and led to a military investigation. The soldiers involved were subsequently removed from combat duty and sentenced to 30 days in military detention.
Moreover, Christian clergy and religious figures in Jerusalem have reported instances of harassment. In early August, a group of six religious Jews, five of whom were minors, was arrested after they allegedly spat and banged on the entrance of the St. James Monastery in the Armenian Quarter, as well as throwing stones at the compound wall. This incident followed an earlier attack where an Israeli man assaulted a French nun on Mount Zion, resulting in her sustaining a head injury.
Members of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem have also reported facing attacks, including incidents where nuns were pelted with stones. Sister Elizaveta from the Mission described the assaults as not merely intimidating but as serious physical attacks.
According to the Religious Freedom Data Center (RFDC), a Jewish-Israeli watchdog organization, reports of anti-Christian harassment have more than doubled in the second quarter of 2026, with spitting attacks being the most common form of aggression.
The closure of Christian schools in Jerusalem highlights the ongoing challenges faced by educational institutions in the region, particularly those serving Palestinian communities. The situation remains fluid, with the potential for further developments as the schools await the renewal of necessary permits for their staff.