One day after nine-year-old Malek Issa was severely maimed by a sponge-tipped bullet in the neighborhood of Issawiya, we appealed to the Ministry of Education and the Jerusalem Municipality demanding that the array of counselors, psychologists, and social workers in the educational institutions of Issawiya be reinforced. Reinforcing professional care personnel is necessary due to the constant police presence in the neighborhood; the multiplicity of arrests and instances of violence involving minors among others; and ongoing trauma that leaves its marks on children and teenagers.
In the appeal, Attorney Tal Hassin describes conversations with parents and educators in Issawiya that have painted a grim picture of the deep emotional distress among children, both younger in age and through high school, which is observed in every realm of life. Parents share stories of children who struggle to fall asleep and suffer from nightmares, children who are frightened to go outside, of compromised concentration, instances of bed-wetting, and playing pretend as cops who shoot and arrest people as they imitate Border Police forces.
Educators report a decline in motivation at school, unrest in classrooms, a significant drop in test scores, loss of focus, and constant fatigue among students. Instances of violence among all students, both physical and verbal, have significantly increased.
ACRI's appeal (Hebrew)
JOSEPH KRAUSS, Heavy police raids leave east Jerusalem neighborhood on edge, AP NEWS