Update on Fasayil School and Clinic

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Fasayil School Basketball court

Building of Basketball Court

By 2010 Fasayil School is a functioning school with several stone classrooms and an office for the staff. Teachers have been provided by the ministry of education. Jordan Valley Solidarity has also built a playground (pictured) and a water fountain (pictured) and, on Tuesday 23rd February 2010, had almost completed a school basketball court
(pictured)

Fasayil School - February 2010

Fasayil School Playground - February 2010

Fasayil Clinic

Jordan Valley Solidarity has also built a clinic in Fasayil, Israeli building restrictions have denied the people of Fasayil basic healthcare. In defiance of this Fasayil Clinic (pictured) was officially opened in February 2010 and is awaiting a nurse, who will be provided by the ministry of health. The clinic already has basic equipment.

Fasayil Clinic - Feb 2010

Fasayil Clinic - Feb 2010 - Front View
Resisting Ethnic Cleansing

The building of Fasayil school and clinic, in the face of Israeli building restrictions designed to marginalise Palestinians in area C, has reaffirmed Fasayil's right to exist as a community in the Jordan Valley and to develop without asking the permission of the occupation forces.

Fasayil school water fountain - Feb 2010

The History of Fasayil School

In 2006 residents in the village of Fasayil, the Brighton-Tubas Friendship and Solidarity Group and the Jordan Valley Solidarity (JVS) began talking about building a school in Fasayil. Fasayil is in area C where all building of permanent structures is forbidden. In Summer 2007 JVS, the people of Fasayil and volunteers from Brighton built a basic school building out of mud bricks. In October 2007 the Israeli Civil Administration placed an injunction on the building of the school and ordered the villagers to apply for a permit. The residents of Fasayil were defiant declaring “We will build the school again and again. They cannot destroy our determination to give proper education to our children”. They refused to apply for a permit (see http://brightonpalestine.org/node/180).

Fasayil School - Classrooms and basketball court

An international petition, translated into five languages, was launched against the demolition gathering tens of thousands of signatures. The school became an international issue; letters were written to the Israeli Civil Miltary Administration and to foreign governments, demonstrations were held in several countries. In an interview with The Independent Zidki Maman of the Civil Military Administration was forced to admit that the army would consider “humanitarian concerns” before demolishing the school.