Ref: 93/2008

Date: 27 October 2008

Time: 12:30 GMT

PCHR Calls upon the Palestinian Government to Reverse Decision to Dismiss Dozens of West Bank Teachers

The Palestinian Ministry of Education in the West Bank has, in violation of the Palestinian law, sent written notices to dozens of teachers affiliated to Hamas, dismissing them from their teaching posts. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) strongly condemns this illegal measure, and calls upon the Palestinian Government in Ramallah to reverse this decision, and refrain from pushing public service employees into the ongoing conflict between the Fatah and Hamas movements.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, on 14 October, the Ministry of Education in Ramallah sent written notices to dozens of teachers, canceling their employment contracts, and dismissing them without notice. The notices claimed that the Ministry of Education did not approve their employment any longer. A number of the affected teachers subsequently told PCHR that they went to the Ministry of Education in Ramallah to meet with the Education Minister, but the manager of her office told them to refer to the General Personnel Council (GPC) as this is the authorized body to deal with such matters. When the teachers subsequently went to the GPC, they were instructed to return to the Ministry of Education, and told that the GPC deals with ministries, as opposed to their personnel.

A PCHR field worker attempted to contact the Ministry of Education in Ramallah by phone about the reasons for the dismissals, but did not receive any official response.  

According to information available to PCHR, at least 87 teachers, who were employed by the Ministry of Education while the Hamas-led government was in office in 2006, have received these written notices signed by the Minister of Education, Ms. Lamees al-‘Alami. These notices state, “In reference to the letter received from the General Personnel Council #104231 on 9 September 2008, and due to the non-approval of [the] concerned bodies to employ you in the Ministry of Education, please terminate your work as of today.” The dismissed teachers were all employed during the period April – September 2006.

PCHR condemns this illegal measure, which pushes civil service employees into the political conflict between Fatah and Hamas movements. Therefore, PCHR calls upon the Palestinian National Authority (PNA)

1)      To cancel the dismissals, and allow the affected teachers to resume their work;

2)      To neutralize the public service sector and not to push it into the political conflict, but instead to utilize the Public Service Law as a basis for dealing with all issues related to public service employees;

3)      To ensure respect and support of the right to work, and the right to be employed in public jobs, and to promote equal opportunities based on qualifications and experience, without any discrimination on whatever basis, including discrimination based on political orientation or partisan affiliation.