Palestinians protest Israeli aim to demolish school

By Anees Bargouthi

JERUSALEM

The Palestinian Ministry of Education on Wednesday launched the academic year from a school in the Palestinian Bedouin community of Khan al-Ahmar in eastern Jerusalem, in response to an Israeli decision to close it down.

A ceremony was held, attended by several Palestinian officials, foreign ambassadors and representatives from international organizations.

Earlier this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered to shut down and demolish the school in Khan al-Ahmar, a Bedouin village on the outskirts of occupied East Jerusalem.

Shortly after the school was built using mud and tires in 2009 by villagers and volunteers, the Israeli authorities issued a demolition order for the school under the pretext that it was built without a license.

According to Palestinian figures, Khan al-Ahmar’s accommodates more than 170 students from five different communities in the area.

“Israel continues its assault against the Palestinian rights of living and dignity and education,” the Palestinian Minister of Education Sabri Saydam said.

“They moved their bulldozers and military fleet to demolish this school,” he said. “Our response is to launch the academic year from Khan al-Ahmar’s school.”

Abdullah Abu Daoud, 13, told Anadolu Agency that the students started their school early this year because of the Israeli threats to shut it down.

“We started our school early this year to save it from being demolished by the Israeli army,” he said.

“We have no other place to continue our study, other schools are far away from us,” he added.

Fatmeh Jahaleen, 14, said that the Israeli authorities wanted to expel her community from its lands to open roads for Jewish settlers.

“I do not want to leave my school, I want to finish my study here,” she said.

“They want us to leave so they can open roads and built housing units for the Jewish settlers,” she added.