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Follow Us on TwitterIsrael plans to demolish a Palestinian elementary school 28Aug13 August 28, 2013
Palestine News Network - 26 August 2013
Israeli authorities threaten to demolish Khan Al-Ahmar elementary school, which serves 85 boys and girls from five nearby Jahalin communities. The demolition would deny these children their rightful education, and would jeopardize their futures.
The school, which is located near al-Quds (also known as Jeruselum) was established by local and international organizations in 2007 to combat the transportation dangers faced by the 5-12 year olds, on a daily basis. At the time, the nearest school was 22 kilometers away. Many students were injured by cars on the road, on their way to school, including four who were disabled and another five who were killed.
Since the initial building of the school, Israeli authorities issued a demolition order, claiming that the school was built without permits. Yet, building permits are practically unattainable for Palestinians. Additionally, Israeli residents of the nearby illegal Kfar Adumim settlement, filed a lawsuit against the building of the school. They are claiming that it is built on land belonging to the settlement.
Israeli settlements constitute war crimes against Palestine and are also illegal by the definition of international law. Not only this, but the Palestinians residents of the Jahalin communities lived there 13 years prior to the establishment of the Kfar Adumim illegal settlement.
If Israeli authorities follow through with the demolition of the Khan Al-Ahmar elementary school, the young children will once again have to make the long and life-threatening 22 mile journey twice a day, to and from school.
Fayrouz Sharqawi, who reported this story on Policymic, wrote that, “The demolition of the Khan Al-Ahmar school will contribute to increased illiteracy in an already struggling community. While this may seem like an isolated incident, it is a part of Israel’s broader assault on Palestinian education, which is intended to disempower Palestinian communities and make it easier to displace them and Judaize Jerusalem. Without access to education, Palestinian communities remain ignorant, illiterate, impoverished, and lack the chance to develop and empower themselves. As a result their resistance to the occupation and the violation of their human rights is weakened.”
This is only one of Israeli recent strategic attacks on Palestinian education. Others include Israel’s manipulation of Palestinian curriculums in the occupied Al-Quds (also known as Jerusalem) and Tel Aviv’s racially segregated kindergartens which seperate children of African parents from all other children.
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