Jerusalem - "Al-Qudsat.com - Muhammad Abu Khudair - The Association for Civil Rights and the Committee for Parents of Students in Occupied East Jerusalem submitted a petition to the Israeli Administrative Affairs Court, asking it to oblige the municipality to perform its duty, and to work to improve safety arrangements in the vicinity of educational institutions in Eastern neighborhoods of the city before the start of the school year.

It is noteworthy that the Association for Civil Rights conducted an examination between the months of March and July 2022, in the vicinity of dozens of educational institutions, in 12 neighborhoods east of Jerusalem. Traffic to 30 km/h, and there are no traffic lights for pedestrians (children crossing the street), and in the vast majority of these institutions, bumps are not placed to limit the speed of cars, and pedestrian paths are not demarcated, and only in a few schools are areas equipped for ascent and disembarkation Pupils from buses and private cars, or install safety guards separating the school from the street to prevent pupils from rushing into the street at the end of the school day.

In the affidavit attached to the petition, Adel Ghazzawi, head of the parents’ committee in Al-Thawri neighborhood, testifies: “When we pass through the Jewish neighborhood of Abu Tur and reach the Palestinian side of the neighborhood, we move to another world.. The neglect of our infrastructure is appalling, as there is no Sidewalks, no parking spaces, and every process of entry or exit from the neighborhood is accompanied by severe congestion, which prompts drivers to cut off the road and drive recklessly, and this is a very dangerous matter for children and adults.. There are between 6-7 schools and nurseries in the neighborhood, and all of them suffer From neglecting the exit and entry area, and the municipality is obligated to take care of placing traffic signs and arranging public safety affairs before a child is killed here.”

It is noteworthy that the association's appeals to the municipality of Jerusalem, and repeated calls by parents to it, were met with complete disregard by both the municipality and its education department.

Attorney Tal Hussein, from the Association for Civil Rights, said: “The Jerusalem municipality ignores the requests of parents and school principals, and it ignores its duties, being responsible for the roads and infrastructure in the areas that fall under its authority, with its clear disregard for the lives and safety of thousands of Palestinian students, and their right to safety.” Body, dignity and equality.

He added, "Such behavior is associated with deep and long-standing discrimination against neighborhoods in occupied East Jerusalem, and it is easy to assume that similar requests from parents and administrators in the west of the city would have been met through active reform of safety risks and failures in the periphery of educational institutions."

He continued, "The process of demarcating pedestrian paths, installing safety railings, and installing traffic lights are essential and easy to implement."