Jerusalem Christian schools pause classes after Israel withholds entry permits for 70+ West Bank staff
Christian schools in Jerusalem suspended attendance on September 1, 2026 after Israeli authorities did not renew entry permits for more than 70 West Bank teachers and staff, according to a statement carried by the Custody of the Holy Land. Aid to the Church in Need reported the walkout affected more than 8,500 students and ended after one day when some permits were renewed for short windows. Church officials said full academic-year permits were still missing and that they would keep pressing Israeli authorities.
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The General Secretariat for Christian Educational Institutions in Jerusalem said on August 31 that entry permits for more than 70 teachers and other staff from the West Bank were not renewed suddenly and without prior notice, and that schools would suspend attendance beginning September 1 until permits were reissued. The Custody of the Holy Land published that statement.
Aid to the Church in Need reported the suspension hit teaching plus administrative and support roles and affected more than 8,500 students. Collège des Frères headmaster Brother Daoud Kassabry told ACN the missing staff could not be replaced overnight and that each non-renewed permit meant a threatened livelihood.
ACN reported the strike was called off after one day when Israeli authorities renewed some permits. George Akroush of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem told ACN some renewals ran one week, some a month, and some to year-end — not full academic-year coverage — and that church authorities hoped fuller permits might come after Christmas.
The schools' statement asked that such measures stop recurring so education can stay regular and safe. A detailed public explanation from Israeli authorities of the non-renewals was not in the church sources used for this brief.
Sources
Custody of the Holy Land: Statement from the Christian Schools in Jerusalem: Suspension of School Attendance Due to the Non-Renewal of Permits for Teachers and Staff (Aug 31, 2026)
https://www.custodia.org/en/news/statement-from-the-christian-schools-in-jerusalem-suspension-of-school-attendance-due-to-the-non-renewal-of-permits-for-teachers-and-staff/Archived copyAid to the Church in Need (ACN International): Christian schools in Jerusalem protest non-renewal of entry permits for teachers (Sep 1, 2026)
https://acninternational.org/christian-schools-in-jerusalem-protest-non-renewal-of-entry-permits-for-teachers/Archived copy
Corrections and updates
- Update, September 4, 2026: Brief prepared from the Custody-hosted schools statement and ACN reporting. Israeli authorities' detailed public rationale for the permit decisions was not located in those sources.