Jerusalem: Christian schools under threat
On 10 March 2026, the Israeli Ministry of Education announced that no work permits will be issued for the 2026-2027 academic year to Palestinian teachers residing in the occupied West Bank who hold a “green card” – an administrative document allowing certain Palestinians to work or travel within Israeli-controlled areas. Consequently, over 200 Christian teachers could find themselves unemployed and unable to teach in Jerusalem’s Christian schools. This decision threatens the operation of these historic institutions and the future of Christian education in the Holy City.
For several months, Christian schools in Jerusalem have been facing unprecedented pressure.
On 6 July 2025, the Education Committee of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, gave final approval to a bill aimed at banning the employment of Palestinian teachers holding degrees obtained in the West Bank within Israel and East Jerusalem. According to the authorities, these degrees do not meet the academic qualifications required to teach in these areas.
Already, at the start of the current school year, 171 teachers from the West Bank did not receive the necessary authorisations to teach in their schools. This prompted the General Secretariat of Christian Schools to launch a week-long strike across all Christian schools in Jerusalem until the situation was regularised and the required permits were issued.
Most recently, on 10 March 2026, the Israeli Ministry of Education sent a letter to school principals in Jerusalem. It mandates that for the 2026-2027 term, they must recruit teachers who reside in the city and hold Israeli-issued certificates. In practice, no work permits will be granted to Palestinian teachers living in the West Bank who hold a green card.
“If this decision is truly implemented, our Christian schools will find themselves in a very difficult position, which will jeopardise their sustainability and cause them to lose their Christian mission,” warned a representative of the General Secretariat of Christian Schools in the Holy Land, speaking in an interview with the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) on condition of anonymity.
Approximately 230 teachers affected
Nearly 230 Christian teachers, who reside in the West Bank and hold green cards, work in 15 Christian schools in Jerusalem. “Spread across these establishments, this would represent about 15 absent teachers per school, resulting in a major disruption for our pupils and our teams,” the General Secretariat representative highlighted.
Most of these schools, founded at the end of the 19th century, have educated hundreds of thousands of students, both Christian and Muslim, and have played an essential role at national and interreligious levels. They were established specifically to promote Christian education and to preserve the faith and the Christian presence in Jerusalem. “However,” the delegate warned ACN, “there are not enough Christian teachers in Jerusalem to take over. In the long term, these restrictions risk permanently affecting the Christian character of our institutions and weakening the Christian faith and presence in the city.”
Social and economic consequences for families
Furthermore, most of these teachers have worked in these schools for years and receive fair salaries. The termination of their employment would lead to severe financial hardship for their families, in a context already marked by the war in Gaza and the current regional conflict. Some may be forced to emigrate in search of a better future for themselves and their children.
“The Church will not abandon them in these difficult circumstances,” the representative assured, adding that “it is doing everything possible to communicate with all possible interlocutors within the Israeli government, despite the difficulty of engaging in dialogue with them.” In parallel, the schools have approached the relevant legal bodies. The local Church is also in constant contact with the Holy See and influential international actors to urge the Israeli Government to reverse its decision.
When asked about the role that ACN could play, the representative replied: “It is essential to highlight this problem on a global scale by disseminating information to make the truth known. Financial aid will also be necessary if the decision is enforced and families find themselves deprived of their income. Finally, it is right to pray for these teachers and for all Christians in Jerusalem and the Holy Land, for prayer remains the key to the heart of Almighty God, in the land He has blessed and sanctified.”
