Israeli decision to raze West Bank school is 'war' on Palestinian identity, says premier

By Awad Rajoub

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) - A recent decision by Israeli authorities to demolish a school in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah amounts to "war on Palestinian identity," Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said on Thursday.

"We reject the (Israeli) occupation's decision to demolish the Ein Samia school, which is a form of war on Palestinian identity," Shtayyeh said at a ceremony for high school students in Ramallah.

The decision was "a frantic attempt to annihilate family education," and "a flagrant violation of the right of Palestinian students to education," he added.

On Wednesday, the Israeli District Court in Jerusalem issued a decision to "immediately demolish" the Ein Samia school, northeast of Ramallah, according to the Jerusalem Center for Social and Economic Rights.

The human rights center said the school serves students of the Ein Samia al-Badawi community, totaling about 300 people. It is located in Area C, which is used to classify parts of the West Bank that are under Israel control.

On July 28, the Israeli Minister of Education, Shasha-Biton, decided to revoke the licenses of six schools in occupied East Jerusalem with more than 2,000 students, "on the background of incitement against Israel in textbooks," according to a ministry statement at the time.

*Ikram Imane Kouachi in Ankara contributed to this report.