Israeli bullet deprives Palestinian students of beloved teacher

By Salam AbuSharar

JERUSALEM (AA) – On May 27, 2020, Zakaria Hamayel, an Arabic teacher, left school northeast of Jerusalem after a busy day with his students.

The following day, protests erupted in his hometown of Beita, 13 km southeast of Nablus, against Israeli settlement building in the Palestinian territories.

During the anti-settlement protests, a bullet fired by an Israeli soldier hit Hamayel’s chest, killing him on the spot.

“I was inside my home when my grandson came in screaming that Israeli occupation forces killed his teacher,” Hamed Awaisa, a colleague teacher of Hamayel at “The Expatriates of Bir Nabal High School”, told Anadolu Agency.

Hamayel was popular among his students and colleagues due to his courtesy, wisdom and friendly behavior.

“His death was a shock for us, teachers and students. I pray for him every dawn to be in heaven,” Awaisa said with sorrow.

International law regards both the West Bank and East Jerusalem as occupied territories and considers all Jewish settlement-building activity there illegal.

Israeli and Palestinian estimates indicate there are about 650,000 settlers living in 164 settlements and 124 outposts in the West Bank, including in occupied East Jerusalem.

Shock

Saif Mansour, 16, recalled the moment he heard of his teacher’s death, saying he was in his room when his father came suddenly and asked him to pray.

“When I asked my father why I have to pray now? He said, the Israeli army killed your teacher, I couldn’t understand and cried,” Mansour said.

Hamayel’s students still remember how their teacher was very kind and friendly with them.

“On his last day at school, I was running in the playground when I accidently hit him, causing his coins to scatter. I was very embarrassed, but he laughed and collected the coins with me. I can’t believe his demise,” Mohammad Abu Gharbia, 16, said.

Students recall that their well-mannered teacher was a mentor to them all.

“He was advising us all the time to be kind and treat people in good manners,” Yousef Al-Bis, 13, one of Hamayel’s students, told Anadolu Agency.

“Our late teacher kept reminding us to perform our prayers on time and never miss it.”

Hamayel was born in Jordan and grew up in Kuwait. Three years after his graduation from university, he decided to return to Palestine to teach students there.

On his first year in the Palestinian territories, he was detained for several months by Israeli forces.

His schoolmaster Eid Dahadha said that Hamayel’s death has left his students in a total shock.

“When we came back to school, two days after his death, we were trying to raise the morale of his students, but it wasn’t easy,” Dahadha said.

“Until today, the students still miss their teacher and see his face in every detail in their classrooms.”