Palestine faced the fourth day of the strike today. Teachers and many other government employees are striking since Saturday 2nd September. They haven't received salaries in six months.
An economical crisis is going on: since Hamas won the elections at the beginning of this year, international aid mainly stopped. The US and EU don’t accept the elected Hamas government and its ideologies. Also Palestinian taxes are frozen by the Israeli government. Other aid money couldn’t be received. Banks, including Arabic ones, were not willing to fulfil transactions for this government, since they have been threatened with sanctions mainly by the US. Total chaos was expected, regarding the fact that the government can’t function without money, which means without paying salaries.
School was supposed to start Saturday 2nd of September. For some students, who attend private or UNRWA schools, it did. But most students, attending governmental schools, faced a strike. This strike was expected since teachers are not getting paid since six months. The opportunity to get a loan presented itself several times, but was often not more than half of their original loan. The few teachers who refused to be part of the strike were also not able to teach, because the few number of students which showed up, after announcing the strike.
786,286 students attend to governmental schools, so said the current minister of education. The actual Minister of Education, Dr. Nasser Addin Al Sha’er, is imprisoned by the Israeli government. Many of these students are now suffering from this strike. “Especially students of the last year before university, the so called Tawjihi year, fear to perform less due to the strike. These students are in a key point of their lives. They have to perform well to be able to enter the university they want to”, says a student of the university of Nablus and resident of Askar refugee camp.
Yesterday up to 90% of the schools and governmental offices went on strike. All demanding a solution to this problem. Even many hospitals are striking. They were only available for real emergencies. Private ones were opened, but many people can not afford going to a private hospital. A woman, resident of the village Al Sireh Al Harisiah, died. Her unborn dead son had to be removed by operation, but she couldn’t afford the operation; 300 Jordanian Dinars (approximately 424 US Dollars). “The situation is getting worse day by day”, said Jamal, secretary at a school and resident of Aqaba, a village near Jenin in the north of the West Bank. “We keep on striking 'till a solution is presented.” MP’s called the strikers traitors several times. “Palestinians suffer everyday from the occupation, which is also getting worse daily. People are sick of living under bad circumstances. There is not even real resistance anymore. Besides this we now also face an extra punishment in the form of US and Israeli sanctions. This strike is an opportunity to show the world that these sanctions make the situation of children, students, elderly people, and even pregnant women, dramatically worse. Too bad the government is not conducting the right policy, to show this to the world,” so said the school secretary.
Today employees from the commercial sector also joined the strike to show solidarity with the strikers. Thousands of children attending private schools in Bethlehem were also sent home today.
Although Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh called not to strike, the Teachers Union confirmed the strike Saturday. This union consists of members of all factions. The demands of the teachers are, according to the union, fair and legitimate. They can’t stay forever without salaries. Some teachers even say that it’s the responsibility of this Hamas government to provide them salaries even if they are suffering from sanctions. As long as there is no money available, no solution to this problem is in sight.
Also political parties have expressed their support for the strike. According to The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) it is the legal right of the protestors to strike. The PFLP recognizes their demands and say that the strike is a form of having a free opinion, which is essential in Palestinian life.
Yesterday PM Haniyeh expressed his understanding for the strikers' demands and promised to try to find a solution. People are under the impression that there has to be some kind of solution, as to what that solution might be; no one can be sure, neither can they predict when such a solution might be achieved. For the little children, the strike is one of the many uncertainties Palestinian children have to deal with daily. The head of a municipality office in Nablus said: “The strike has a mental impact especially on the young elementary school students. Imagine being a child and preparing for your first day of school, being told at the last moment that there is a strike going on, and thus you cannot attend school. Trying to explain the situation as to why there is a strike is near impossible. The young kids simply can’t comprehend what is going on.”
The situation at other governmental offices and instances didn’t differ a lot from the schools, as they faced a suspension of work. Yesterday tens of employees of the Palestinian Legislative Council in Gazaa struck too. They were asking for their salaries and demanding from the Council to find a good solution quickly. Bar a few offices, most governmental offices were deserted.
For many children, school does not only mean education, but is also a main place to meet friends and socialize with kids of the same age. These needs cannot be fulfilled now. This strike is another example of instability in Palestinian life.
School was supposed to start Saturday 2nd of September. For some students, who attend private or UNRWA schools, it did. But most students, attending governmental schools, faced a strike. This strike was expected since teachers are not getting paid since six months. The opportunity to get a loan presented itself several times, but was often not more than half of their original loan. The few teachers who refused to be part of the strike were also not able to teach, because the few number of students which showed up, after announcing the strike.
786,286 students attend to governmental schools, so said the current minister of education. The actual Minister of Education, Dr. Nasser Addin Al Sha’er, is imprisoned by the Israeli government. Many of these students are now suffering from this strike. “Especially students of the last year before university, the so called Tawjihi year, fear to perform less due to the strike. These students are in a key point of their lives. They have to perform well to be able to enter the university they want to”, says a student of the university of Nablus and resident of Askar refugee camp.
Yesterday up to 90% of the schools and governmental offices went on strike. All demanding a solution to this problem. Even many hospitals are striking. They were only available for real emergencies. Private ones were opened, but many people can not afford going to a private hospital. A woman, resident of the village Al Sireh Al Harisiah, died. Her unborn dead son had to be removed by operation, but she couldn’t afford the operation; 300 Jordanian Dinars (approximately 424 US Dollars). “The situation is getting worse day by day”, said Jamal, secretary at a school and resident of Aqaba, a village near Jenin in the north of the West Bank. “We keep on striking 'till a solution is presented.” MP’s called the strikers traitors several times. “Palestinians suffer everyday from the occupation, which is also getting worse daily. People are sick of living under bad circumstances. There is not even real resistance anymore. Besides this we now also face an extra punishment in the form of US and Israeli sanctions. This strike is an opportunity to show the world that these sanctions make the situation of children, students, elderly people, and even pregnant women, dramatically worse. Too bad the government is not conducting the right policy, to show this to the world,” so said the school secretary.
Today employees from the commercial sector also joined the strike to show solidarity with the strikers. Thousands of children attending private schools in Bethlehem were also sent home today.
Although Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh called not to strike, the Teachers Union confirmed the strike Saturday. This union consists of members of all factions. The demands of the teachers are, according to the union, fair and legitimate. They can’t stay forever without salaries. Some teachers even say that it’s the responsibility of this Hamas government to provide them salaries even if they are suffering from sanctions. As long as there is no money available, no solution to this problem is in sight.
Also political parties have expressed their support for the strike. According to The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) it is the legal right of the protestors to strike. The PFLP recognizes their demands and say that the strike is a form of having a free opinion, which is essential in Palestinian life.
Yesterday PM Haniyeh expressed his understanding for the strikers' demands and promised to try to find a solution. People are under the impression that there has to be some kind of solution, as to what that solution might be; no one can be sure, neither can they predict when such a solution might be achieved. For the little children, the strike is one of the many uncertainties Palestinian children have to deal with daily. The head of a municipality office in Nablus said: “The strike has a mental impact especially on the young elementary school students. Imagine being a child and preparing for your first day of school, being told at the last moment that there is a strike going on, and thus you cannot attend school. Trying to explain the situation as to why there is a strike is near impossible. The young kids simply can’t comprehend what is going on.”
The situation at other governmental offices and instances didn’t differ a lot from the schools, as they faced a suspension of work. Yesterday tens of employees of the Palestinian Legislative Council in Gazaa struck too. They were asking for their salaries and demanding from the Council to find a good solution quickly. Bar a few offices, most governmental offices were deserted.
For many children, school does not only mean education, but is also a main place to meet friends and socialize with kids of the same age. These needs cannot be fulfilled now. This strike is another example of instability in Palestinian life.
