Jerusalem’s Christian Schools Suspend Classes Amid Israeli Permit Crisis

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Christian schools across Jerusalem suspended the start of their academic year on September 1, 2026, after Israeli authorities failed to renew entry permits for more than 70 teachers, administrative employees, and support staff living in the occupied West Bank.

The abrupt disruption affects more than 8,500 students who rely on the institutions for their education. According to the General Secretariat for Christian Educational Institutions in Jerusalem, the permit denials arrived suddenly and without prior warning, blocking essential personnel from crossing checkpoints into East Jerusalem.

Permit Crisis Halts School Operations

The sudden administrative barrier crippled the institutions’ operational readiness just as the 2026–2027 school year was set to begin. In a media statement issued on Monday, August 31, 2026, the General Secretariat explained that the missing personnel roster extends far beyond classroom teaching.

The absent workers include critical administrative staff, health service providers, cleaning crews, and security personnel. Without these workers on site, school leadership concluded it was impossible to guarantee a safe and stable environment for students.

“Accordingly… it has been decided to suspend school attendance in the schools of the city of Jerusalem beginning Tuesday morning, 1 September 2026, until the necessary permits for teachers and staff are reissued and renewed,” the Secretariat announced.

Munther Isaac, pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem, condemned the measure, stating that the permit denials represent a continuing campaign of pressure against the Christian presence in Jerusalem.

Since October 2023, Israeli authorities have tightened restrictions on entry permits for Palestinian workers and educators crossing from the West Bank amid the ongoing war in Gaza. School officials have called for an immediate resolution to the permit crisis so that staff can return and students can resume their education safely.

Broader Anti-Christian Incidents and Institutional Harassment

Data from the Religious Freedom Data Center, a Jewish-Israeli watchdog organization, shows that reported anti-Christian incidents more than doubled in the second quarter of 2026, with spitting attacks making up the vast majority of cases.

Photo: arabtimesonline.com

Monasteries and churches have been targeted. In early August, six religious Jews—including five minors—were arrested after spitting, banging on the entrance of the St. James Monastery in the Armenian Quarter, and hurling stones at the compound wall. That incident followed an assault on Mount Zion, where an Israeli man severely beat a French nun, leaving her with a head injury.

Members of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in the Holy City reported similar assaults to RT, describing nuns being pelted with stones. “It’s not just to throw to scare a person, it was such a blow to defeat,” Sister Elizaveta of the Mission told RT.

Similar hostility has emerged outside Jerusalem. In April, an Israeli soldier was filmed using a sledgehammer to smash a statue of Jesus Christ in the Lebanese town of Dibil while occupation forces controlled the surrounding area. The footage sparked international outrage, prompting an expedited military investigation. The Israel Defense Forces subsequently withdrew the soldiers involved from combat duty and sentenced them to 30 days in military detention.

Diplomatic fallout over the treatment of Palestinian Christians has also reached Washington. In early August, US Senator Chris Van Hollen publicly called for the resignation of US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. Van Hollen accused the ambassador of failing to protect American citizens and interests, pointing directly to his inadequate response to mounting violence in the West Bank and attacks on local Christian communities.