Arab Organisation for Human Rights in the UK (AOHR UK) condemned the measures taken by the security services against teachers prior to Monday, February 20, protest in front of the Palestine Council of Ministers. It emphasised that summoning teachers, deducting from their salaries, and setting up roadblocks on the roads leading to Ramallah is a flagrant attack on the work of the trade union and a breach to the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and the right to freedom of expression, and it also reflects the level of repression of the Palestinian Authorities.
It is worth nothing the PA rejects the formation of a democratically elected trade union that would express teachers’ interests, as the current one follows the PA and does not represent the teachers interests.
In April 2022, an agreement was made to increase the teachers’ salaries by 15% with the beginning of this year, in addition to holding free democratic elections to form a union of more than 38,000 teachers in the West Bank.
AOHR UK stressed the need to respond to the teachers’ demands and respect their dignity instead of deducting from their salaries or threatening them, noting that the educational process has been suspended for three weeks, which has a great negative impact on the academic achievements of students.
The security sector of the Palestinian Authority, which consists of six security agencies with more than 65,000 personnel, consumes more than a third of the general budget, with more than a billion dollars, which is much higher than the budget allocated for the educational and health systems.
Moreover, due to the corruption in all PA institutions, most of the general budget are spent without accountability, and the looted funds would only occur in the event of dispute within the authority.
As a result, the Palestinian citizen pays the price while already suffering under the occupation, especially in the sectors of health, education and economy.
Resolving the problems of a people suffering from occupation starts by fighting corruption and strengthening the educational system, which is the foundation for the progress and urbanisation of societies, as well as dissolving the six security agencies and the creation of a single police apparatus that would work on the maintenance of security in accordance with the law.
The European Union, as one of the main donors, is responsible for the rampant corruption in the PA since it has many reports and information on corruption and the suppression of freedoms and the blatant interference in public affairs by the authorities.
To ensure the achievement of development and to support Palestinians under occupation, the European Union and all donors are called upon to form committees to investigate corruption and to ensure that funds provided to the Palestinian people reach the right place.
