Hannah McCarthy: Irish-funded school in Palestine destroyed by Israel - is it the first of many?
An EU-funded Palestinian school in Wadi as-Seeq in the southern West Bank which is at risk of demolition. Despite repeated condemnation from many EU governments, the destruction of Palestinian structures and homes by Israeli forces has become a familiar scene in the West Bank. Picture: Hannah McCarthy
At the end of April, an Irish diplomat visited a Palestinian school in Jabbet al-Dhib near Bethlehem. Along with other EU representatives and NGOs, they were there as part of a publicity campaign to dissuade the Israeli authorities from demolishing the small school that served 45 students living in the remote area of the West Bank.
On Sunday, May 7, less than two weeks after that visit, bulldozers trundled towards the school in Jabbet al-Dhib. Young Palestinian protestors threw rocks while Israeli soldiers responded with tear gas. By the end of the day, the school built with funds from several EU countries, including Ireland, lay in rubble.
