Christian schools in occupied Jerusalem are warning that a new Israeli policy could jeopardize their ability to operate and undermine their long‑standing educational and religious mission.
Administrators, church officials, and parents say the measures are part of a broader campaign to weaken Palestinian institutions in the city by forcing Christian schools to abandon their independent curricula and submit to direct Israeli political control.
For decades, these schools have served Palestinian Christian and Muslim students, maintaining their own educational programs rooted in community values, religious identity, and academic independence.
Under the new policy, Israeli authorities are pressuring them to adopt the Israeli state curriculum — a move educators say would erase their autonomy and place them under political oversight.
According to the report, Israeli officials have begun conditioning licensing, accreditation, and funding on compliance with the state curriculum.
School administrators warn that this would fundamentally alter the mission of Christian schools and undermine their role as community anchors for Palestinian Christians in the city.
Church leaders cited in the report expressed concern that the policy is designed to reshape the demographic and cultural landscape of occupied Jerusalem by weakening Palestinian Christian institutions. They warn that non‑compliance could result in severe financial pressure, loss of accreditation, or eventual closure.
Christian schools in occupied Jerusalem are also facing a severe staffing crisis due to a new Israeli plan to bar hundreds of Palestinian teachers who reside in the West Bank from continuing their work in 15 Christian schools in the city.
Administrators warn that the measure would immediately disrupt daily operations, undermine academic continuity, and cripple the schools’ ability to fulfill their educational and religious mission.
Many of these teachers have worked in Jerusalem’s Christian schools for years and form the core of their teaching staff. School officials say that preventing them from entering the city would leave classrooms without qualified educators, force schools to cut programs, and potentially push some institutions toward closure.
Christian leaders view the move as part of a broader pattern of Israeli policies aimed at weakening Palestinian institutions in occupied Jerusalem by restricting their staff, resources, and operational independence.
Christian institutions in occupied Jerusalem have faced increasing pressure in recent years, including land seizures, attacks by illegal paramilitary Israeli colonizers, and restrictions on church‑owned properties.
School administrators say the new curriculum policy and the teacher‑entry restrictions fit into this broader pattern of measures targeting Palestinian institutions and attempting to limit their presence and influence.
The schools are calling for international attention, warning that these policies threaten the future of Christian education in occupied Jerusalem and could accelerate the erosion of a historic community that has maintained a continuous presence in the city for centuries.
Christian Schools In Jerusalem:
- Terra Sancta College
- Collège des Frères (Frères School)
- Rosary Sisters School
- St. Joseph School
- Greek Orthodox School
- St. Dimitrios School
- Lutheran School of Hope
- Evangelical Lutheran School
- St. George’s School
- Baptist School
- Nazarene School
Original report:
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/new-israeli-policy-targeting-christian-schools-in-jerusalem-could-threaten-their-future-existence/
