"Al Iman" cluster of schools. Photo: Muhannad Anati, ACRI
On October 26, 2022, Ministry of Education inspectors raided the Al Iman cluster of schools in the neighborhood of Beit Hanina in East Jerusalem. The inspectors entered classrooms, spoke rudely, intimidated students, insulted teachers, photographed the textbooks on the tables, demanded that students open their backpacks, and pulled out books to photograph them. This is illegal conduct: although the School Inspection Law permits inspectors to enter schools, it does not authorize them to conduct themselves as such, and certainly not to search through and photograph student supplies – actions that severely violate the children's privacy and dignity.
The next day we appealed to the Director General of the Ministry of Education, along with the organization Ir Amim, demanding that an inquiry be carried out to hold those responsible accountable and ensure that such conduct won’t recur. Attorney Tal Hassin noted that the Ministry of Education is responsible for the safety and security of all students, even that of Palestinians residents of East Jerusalem. The petition further notes: "[If] the Ministry of Education felt an urgent need to visit schools and examine textbooks, it should have contacted the school administrators to find an appropriate means of doing so. Forceful and domineering raids, threats, searching through supplies, and intimidating minors, are not among them."