Christian schools in Israel stay shut, delaying the start of the new academic year, due to a funding dispute with authorities in the Jewish state.
The strike action affects around 33,000 pupils, mostly Muslim Israeli Arabs, at 47 schools run primarily by the Roman Catholic church.
“All the schools are closed after a call for an open-ended strike,” says the spokesman for Christian schools in Israel, Botrus Mansour.
Christian schools and Israeli authorities have been in tough talks over state funding for them and their 3,000 employees.
“For a year and a half, we have been holding talks with the Israeli authorities and several figures have intervened, even the Vatican,” says Mansour.
“A week ago, President Reuven Rivlin and Education Minister Naftali Bennett made very positive comments … But we still haven’t seen any serious proposal.
“We’ve tried everything and have no option left but to go on strike,” he says.
— AFP
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