By Ammar Awad
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel has said a Palestinian teenager who was among the youngest prisoners and detainees it freed under a Gaza truce cannot return to his former school in Jerusalem until at least mid-January after a period of probation.
Ahmad Salaymeh’s family sees in the ban a violation of his rights as well as a reminder of Israeli control over Palestinians in Jerusalem.
Salaymeh, 14, was arrested in July, with police accusing him of stone-throwing, grievous bodily harm and property damage. An additional terrorism count indicated that he was accused of having attacked Israelis for political reasons.
The boy denies any wrongdoing.
Salaymeh was summarily released from pre-trial detention, along with scores of other Palestinian teens, during a Nov 24-Dec 1 truce under which Israel recovered almost half of the 240 hostages held by Palestinian Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.
After a week’s recuperation at home, he wanted to resume his studies. But then the school informed Salaymeh’s father that his return was being prevented by Israeli authorities.
Israeli control is resented by many fellow Palestinians of Jerusalem, who want the east of the city as capital of their hoped-for future state.
“I am sad because I can’t see my friends and I am missing classes, so I have to study again, and I may need to repeat the school year,” Salaymeh told Reuters. “I lost this year.”
Israel’s Education Ministry said Salaymeh would be kept from school at least through Jan 10, the end of the winter vacation, which begins on Dec 23.
“Pupils who are released prisoners will not learn within the educational system and will be regularly accompanied by a probationary officer,” the ministry said in a statement.
Each case like Salaymeh’s would undergo professional assessment to determine what might be a “suitable posting” for the coming school term, the statement added.
Salaymeh said he wants to be a star student “so I can become a lawyer and benefit my country”.
(Writing by Dan Williams; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
