‘When I realised that the settlers had entered the school, I tried holding the door shut and a child hid under my desk. One of the settlers hit me and slammed my head against the door. I was being beaten and dragged out of the school grounds by the settlers and bundled into their car.’
Rami, Headteacher at al-Mu’arrajat School
On 16 September 2024, five Israeli settlers entered the school at al-Mu’arrajat, a Palestinian community in the Jordan Valley, armed with clubs and an axe. They beat and kicked several people, including the headteacher Rami*.
The attack happened before most of the teachers and children had arrived. Rami was then driven a short distance and handed over to Israeli soldiers, who arrested him. Following his arrest, Rami wasn’t allowed to speak to his family or the school, and they weren’t told where he was being held. He said;
Settlers attack a school in the Palestinian village of Mu’arrajat in the Jordan Valley on 16 September 2024. Credit: Times of Israel
‘The soldiers were extremely aggressive, insulting and hitting me hard. I was covered in blood and in deep pain. During the first interrogation, I was kept in a room without painkillers or medical help from 2pm until 11pm. I was accused of attacking the settlers and teaching the next generation to be terrorists.‘
Only later was he given some medical attention for his seven broken ribs and nose before he was transferred to a prison in Jerusalem.
‘Three days later, when the video from the school security cameras showed I had done nothing wrong, I was taken to a military court and told I would be released. The judge saw me at 2.30pm, but I wasn’t released until after midnight. I was dropped off at a checkpoint with my phone, which was broken during the attack.‘
Israeli human rights organisation, B’Tselem and international media reported the incident. The five settlers were charged with aggravated assault, kidnapping, and trespassing. This is rare. A 19-year investigation conducted by Israeli human rights organisation, Yesh Din, found that only 6% of settler attacks against Palestinians end in arrest, and just 3% in conviction.
Settlers, protected by Israeli security forces, also invaded the school in Mu’arrajat on 28 October 2024. Credit: goodshepherdcollective/Instagram
The news of the attack and fear of similar attacks spread quickly amongst Palestinian communities in the Jordan Valley. In Ras ‘Ein al ‘Auja, Mohammad*, a 12-year-old boy, told us;
‘It’s scary to go to school because of the settlers. Before, we were excited and walked to school by ourselves. Now, we don’t. We worry our school will be the next one to be attacked. Teachers cut a hole in the fence around the school so we can easily run away if settlers arrive‘
Fadya*, a mother from a different family in Ras ‘Ein al ‘Auja, said;
‘I worry about my children going to school from the moment they leave home until they return. Two days ago, an Israeli settler told children waiting at the roadside that he would burn the school bus.‘
School at Hammamat al Maleh
In Hammamat al Maleh, Khalil*, a teacher, said;
‘An armed settler, accompanied in his car by two armed soldiers, arrived at the school at 8.35am and ordered the school staff out of the building. He went into the building, opened stores, and took photos. The students recognised the settler and were very scared. The intention of the visit was unclear, but presumably to intimidate the teachers and the pupils and to collect photos to forward to the Israeli authorities to encourage them to enforce an existing demolition order on the school.‘
In al Jiftlik, Ahmed*, a member of the village council, told us,
‘Soldiers had arrested four school students aged 15 who were waiting for the bus to school at 7.30am. The parents called the Israeli authorities, and the boys were released at 10.30am without any explanation as to why they had been arrested. The boys were released outside the military base, about 2km from where they were arrested, and told to walk home. Parents are now scared to send their children to school.‘
Physical attacks are not the only threat to education. Fadya told us that the local school was closed three days the week before we visited because the teachers were prevented from crossing the checkpoint by the Israeli soldiers.
‘The children were sent home and missed all their lessons. How are they going to learn anything when they miss so much school?‘
Many families with school-age children have told us about school days being shortened or lost because of teachers being delayed for several hours at checkpoints on the way to work and sometimes prevented entirely from crossing. Ayid*, a teacher at the school in al-Mu’arrajat, told us that teachers have a special identification card issued by the Israeli authorities that is supposed to allow them to pass through checkpoints without unnecessary delay;
‘But I’ve stopped showing it to the soldiers as it only results in me having to wait even longer.‘
According to the UN, 782,000 Palestinian school students in the West Bank are affected by movement restrictions and settler violence, and 58 Palestinian schools are at risk of demolition by the Israeli authorities.
The West Bank was divided into Areas A, B, and C by the Oslo Accords in 1993-5. The Accords designated 87% of the Jordan Valley as Area C, where Israel has full security and civil control. Israeli control over Area C was intended only to be an interim measure that would last no longer than five years. Nearly 30 years later, Israel has not withdrawn and continues to occupy Area C and the wider West Bank. Under international law, Israel is an occupying power and, as such, has responsibilities to protect the population in the occupied territory.
UNICEF research shows that education is highly valued among families across Palestine, with 95.4 percent of children enrolled in basic education. However, these high rates of enrolment mask the challenges of access to school, as close to half a million children require humanitarian assistance to access quality education. The violence poses daily challenges and threats to the fulfilment of children’s rights. Violence against children in all its forms is of serious concern, as it compromises children’s learning and future potential. Children experience distress, fear and intimidation going to and coming from school in high-risk locations where they frequently have to pass through checkpoints or walk by settlements. Constant exposure to conflict, economic hardship, and increased poverty all contribute towards the acceptance of violence as a social norm, which has adverse effects on children.
Research undertaken by the Palestinian human rights organisation Al Haq found that Israel continues to restrict construction and the natural growth of Palestinian communities in the Jordan Valley, including by prohibiting the construction of and demolishing schools in Area C, thereby violating its obligation to ensure the education of Palestinian children. Moreover, restrictions on the freedom of movement for the residents of the Jordan Valley area further deny Palestinian children the right to access schools and educational facilities. Settler violence, to which children may be subjected on their way to school, along with the psychological impact of demolitions, prevents and hinders children from attending school and negatively impacts their performance. In turn, increased drop-out rates amongst children, particularly girls, from schools in these communities have been reported. Al Haq concludes that the continuing Israeli occupation significantly impedes education and that there is substantial evidence that Israel is failing in its duties under international human rights and humanitarian law with regard to education.
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