Classes Held Beside IDF Checkpoints in Downtown Hebron
HEBRON, PALESTINE – Since the installation of the latest in a series of Israeli checkpoints scattered throughout the city of Hebron, the Ibrahimia Boys’ and al-Fayhaa Girls’ Schools have struggled to maintain a semblance of routine. A new checkpoint was set up adjacent to the schools’ entrances, through which the 1500 students, ranging from six to fifteen years old, must pass on their way to class.
The process of moving such large numbers of students through the checkpoint can delay classes for hours at a time, and has made school attendance both intimidating and dangerous. The checkpoints utilize metal detector cabins, which the children must enter alone. Once inside, students are forced to lift up their shirts and show Israeli soldiers that they are not carrying explosives. Though teachers and international monitors accompany the children through the checkpoint, the presence of Hebron’s radical Jewish settlers has perpetuated the climate of fear and intimidation. Settlers have physically attacked crowds of students waiting to proceed to class.
Two weeks ago, students and faculty from Hebron’s Ibrahimia Boy’s School and al-Fayhaa Girl’s School gathered together in front of the checkpoint to begin their morning lessons outdoors. The school communities organized the open-air class in order to express their ongoing commitment to education in the face of the most recent Israeli obstructions. The peaceful protest was suppressed, however, by the Israeli Army, which fired sound grenades on teachers and students. In an effort to quash non-violent demonstrations, the Army may also use rubber bullets, physical attacks and tear gas.
“Despite all these difficulties and dangers, we will continue to stress the importance of education,” promised Atar Farouch, headmaster of the Ibrahimia Boys’ School. “We will work to make the students feel more comfortable.” However, in the context of Israel’s occupation of Hebron, a city known for the violence of its settlers and soldiers alike, the ability of Palestinian educators to ensure the security of their students has grown increasingly difficult.