Nothing Illustrates Israel’s Criminal Occupation & Western Complicity More Than The Deliberate Targeting of Palestinian Children's Education

The Children of Al Tafawk at the Arab-American University

Mona, the head teacher at the Al Tafawk Centre and the children and families with her, were told that they must leave the Arab-American University outside Jenin, where they were staying on April 11^th.

They have now been given a reprieve but they must now pay for their accommodation and many families are simply unable to afford it. Where they will go? The report below from Karen, a former British volunteer at the Al Tafawk Centre explains the situation they face at the moment as well as a potted history of the Centre.

Mona is looking after and feeding the children, approximately 70, who used to attend the Al Tafawk Centre. It is a fraction of those who have been displaced by Israel’s monstrous demolition of the Jenin refugee camp. Never before has Zionism demonstrated so clearly that it is a barbaric movement and ideology. It neither accepts nor even recognises International Law as we can see with the genocide in Gaza.

For the past 5 years I have been raising funds for the Al Tafawk Centre and although it no longer exists, having been demolished by Israel, I am continuing to raise funds in order that the children who formerly attended from Jenin refugee camp are supported. I would therefore ask people to help us in that task by contributing to our Crowdfunder which is on Chuffed.

The Children of Al Tafawk at Play

Click here to donate

https://chuffed.org/project/121096-help-keep-open-jenins-al-tawfawk-centre

Go Fund Me tried to destroy our fundraiser - and failed

Background to my own involvement

I first became involved in fundraising for the Al Tafawk Children’s Centre in Jenin around 2018. I was approached by Susan, an activist in the then National Union of Teachers (now the National Education Union).

Perhaps because I ran a widely read blog and set up a Crowdfunder with Go Fund Me I was able to raise over £60,000 during that time. At first we were only contributing a few hundred pounds every quarter but gradually it increased to something like £1,500 per month and today it is even more than that because of the dire situation that Mona and the children face as they have been expelled by the Israeli army from the Jenin Refugee Camp, which has been all but destroyed.

Israel's military trash a home

Earlier this year Go Fund Me turned hostile and sent me two emails asking questions before deciding that we were in breach of US regulations. The whole sad saga of GFM’s utter dishonesty in only just discovering that we were in breach of US government sanctions, after 5 years, can be read here and here.

What these scum really meant was that supporting Palestinians in the West Bank contradicted US government policy in support of genociding Palestinians.

This article was written in November 2023 after the last major attack before Israel's military completely destroyed the Centre

Fortunately I had anticipated that GFM, a billion dollar US Corporation was highly likely to do this at some point or another so I took precautions to anticipate this. The result was that I set up a new and very successful Crowdfunder with Chuffed, an Australian platform, which has been extremely successful.

In July 2021 and again in November 2023 the Israeli army raided the Al Tafawk Centre and destroyed its interior, whose repair we and the British Salaam Shalom Trust funded. On the latter occasion these racist bastards also punched large holes in the exterior walls of the building. The idea of a Palestinian children’s centre was anathema to these monsters.

Israeli soldiers took to ripping up children’s books because one said they didn’t need to learn to read as they would grow up to become ‘terrorist’ and die anyway.

Below are reports from interviews that Karen, a former volunteer at the Al Tafawk Centre Karen conducted with Mona. Karen speaks fluent Arabic and she then translated and explained to me the situation of the children as I was unclear as to what the situation was and what was happening.

Tony Greenstein

Destruction of the Al Tafawk Centre from the Inside

A History of the Al Tafawk Children’s Center, Jenin Refugee Camp

This history of the Al Tafawk Centre is taken from an interview between Karen, a former volunteer teacher at the Centre, and Mona.

Until 2002 Mona, the Head Teacher and her family lived in the building that would become the Al Tafawk Center. During the 2nd Intifada the family were expelled from the camp and they began living in the Al Hadaf area.

When Mona finished university in 2011, she wanted to use the building for the benefit of children. Mona was aware that children in the camp spent a lot of time in the streets. Although UN schools operated in the camp they were not regularly open, so the children did not have a regular routine. Her idea was to supplement the education that children missed through closures.

She began with 6-11 year olds - children in their 1st and 2nd Grades, supporting them with their school work. Children in 1^st grade in Jenin’s schools had the advantage of having been to kindergarten which children in the refugee camp didn’t. They were therefore at a disadvantage. That was the original purpose of the Al Tafawk centre. The camp did not have a Kindergarten.

The children were very proud of their achievements and were asking to study. Most of them came from uneducated families. The numbers of children regularly coming to the Centre increased from 20 to 30. Mona’s parents (both teachers) were extremely supportive of what she was doing.

Funds came from different sources - Mona’s parents, Mona herself through jobs such as teaching English to richer families, caring and cleaning.

The Center grows

Mona was concerned about the number of infants under the age of 6 spending so much time in the street. She worried they “could be lost.” It cost about 300NIS (£75) to send a child to Kindergarten which can feed a family for two weeks. Most families in the camp could not afford this. Mona wanted these children to experience enjoyment and peace not trauma.

Her father’s brother, who owned the building where Al Tafawk was based, after being imprisoned by the Israelis, went to work in Switzerland and on his return to Jenin agreed to let Mona rent the whole building at half the rent - approx £200 per month.

In 2016 the center began the camp’s only kindergarten with 20 children aged 4-5 years. Mona didn’t anticipate the numbers to increase so quickly!

Israel's Soldiers Destroy People's Homes

A chance meeting

Mona caught sight of a man called Bernard Regan, who was previously on the Executive of the National Union of Teachers holding a Palestinian flag on a Facebook post. She messaged him and asked for volunteer teachers of English to support Al Tafawk.

This resulted in volunteer teachers from Britain going to teach at the Centre. Tony Greenstein became involved when another activist in the NUT, Susan contacted Tony which resulted in him taking over the fundraising.

Today

The center has been destroyed by the Israeli military and Mona and the people from the camp are staying at the Arab American University outside Jenin or at least they were until April 11.

Israel's Destruction of People's Homes

Registration

In the early days Mona registered the center as a charity, but she discovered that she was unable to open a bank account or receive any support from the government this way. So she registered instead as a Private Center with the Palestinian Ministry of Education This way she could have a transparent bank account and have full control over how money was spent.

Blood on the Floor After an IDF Raid

IDF Raids

The Israeli army raided the center twice before the current demolition. Each time they destroyed children’s work, smashed up the furniture, broke doors etc. This third time the entire building has been demolished.

Hope for the future

Mona dreams of sitting back in a newly built Al Tafawk center in the camp drinking coffee and laughing with the children.

The Current Situation

Friday 12 April 2025

Hello Tony,

Just spoken to Mona again today.

We acknowledged that the situation herself and the families are in is dire and the problem is a much bigger one than we can solve. However, she is always glad of our support. She was at great pains to emphasise that she cannot and does not want to ask you for money, but whatever is received is spent on the children and whenever a donation arrives she sees it as a blessing and is always very thankful.

Current situation

She and her family have been able to rent rooms at the university for the next month, at a cost of 1,000NIS. This does not include electricity but they do have water. To raise some money, members of the family are collecting molokhia from the environs and selling it on.

Mona estimates that more than half of the families have been able to afford to stay in a room in the university - these are families, like hers, who have managed to save some money in the past. Again, they are trying to earn a bit of money in different ways, though none have "real" jobs.

My Article for Al Jazeera After the First Israeli Raid

To rent in the city is more or less impossible - the cost is 4,000NIS per month and that does not include water or electricity. In addition, landlords are very reluctant to take in people from the camp, because they are not sure how long they will be able to afford to stay.

Some of those families without money have gone to friends or family, but many families are falling out. It has become a matter of survival. Many other poorer families are staying in the woods, like the family in the video. Some are trying to return to the university.

There is absolutely no help from bodies like the UN or the Palestinian government. Some people still believe that the UN will eventually come to help them.

Al Tafawk

Mona was very clear that the children she is trying to help are those that were attending Al Tafawk. There are 60 - 70 of them. She is trying to provide one meal every two days to those under the age of 14 with the money she receives in donations. She explained how guilty she feels feeding these, but not others. But what else can she do?

Her good news is that she has managed to find a place in Jenin City which would be prepared to rent a space to her for the use of the children. This would cost 2,000NIS per month. However, she would also need to rent a bus to transport the children, pay staff and still provide food. She is not sure how this might happen, or really how much the costs would be.

Hope this helps,

Karen

This massive destruction of Jenin Refugee Camp and the Al Tafawk Centre is all the work of Israel's finest

Wednesday 2^nd April 2025

Dear Friends,

Please find below a number of reports.

Firstly I asked a former volunteer at the Al Tafawk Centre Karen to talk to Mona, since she speaks fluent Arabic and then to translate and explain to me the situation of the children as I was a bit in the dark as to what the situation was and what was happening.

Saturday 29^th March 2025

Dear Tony,

I have had two lovely long conversations with Mona, yesterday and today and have lots of info for you which I shall type up and send later. But she wanted me to try and explain about her current situation.

First of all, she would like you to know that she is extremely grateful for all that you do. The support she and those around her feel is invaluable at this time and really does help to keep her strong.

The situation for the people of the camp is dire, as I am sure you understand.

Currently, thousands of people from Jenin Camp fill the rooms of 15 buildings at the Arab American University. The rent on these buildings I believe has been made possible by the business community of Jenin City, along with the supply of electricity for one month.

The University campus is about 10 kms from what used to be the camp and Jenin City and travelling to and from is unsafe. Soldiers jeeps and armoured trucks drive in the streets - and as Mona found out to her cost, they target anyone seen walking. Mona had been into the town and on her return as the jeep drove past the door was deliberately opened, knocking her to the ground. She lay there for several minutes, alone, until the trucks drove away. If using a bus the price is 5NIS, money that many of the people do not have.

Although the people of the camp are grateful for the shelter of the university, the rooms are unsuitable for families to live in. They have no hot water and many have no electricity. When the people were expelled from the camp the IDF refused to allow them to take anything, so they have relied on the kindness of others to bring some clothing - there are no clothes washing facilities, so clothes are rinsed in cold water to try and keep clean. There are scorpions and other insects which make life very uncomfortable. There are families of 11 sharing a room.

The local schools do not accept the camp children, however they have offered zoom lessons. This is very impractical with a lack of internet access, electricity.

Many have been reduced to begging for food. Again the business community has been bringing food, but this is becoming less and less and the quality of the food being offered is becoming poorer. Photos are taken when the food is handed over which makes receiving it very uncomfortable.

Days are spent waiting for food. The children playing in the stairways and corridors.

Mona spoke eloquently about the struggle to stay alive. About how the violence and depravity of the soldiers has become almost normal. When a friend or relative is killed, they mourn for a day and the next day, wake up and start again. At first families would watch the news, eager for any information, but now they don’t bother.

Children are taken from the streets and they are told that their mother will be killed, that the child will be left alone. Mona believes this to be instilling fear into the children from a very early age. Drones with voices enter homes frightening the inhabitants and making them flee. Mona fears this brainwashing will persuade the people to agree to any demands made of them by Israel.

And so the people live in complete chaos, with trauma and a fear for what the next day will bring. More and more families arrive each day. It is in these conditions that Mona is trying to help others.

It is impossible for her to rent a room. Rooms in the university are taken by families, renting in the city is around 3,000NIS and even if that money could be found, there is no way for the children to travel there safely. Mona is adamant that the life of the children is here and now. Where they are at the present moment is what matters and the project in her heart is to try and keep them safe.

The money you have been sending has been spent on food which is ridiculously expensive, but healthy. A meal of rice and soup to feed one child costs 14NIS. So just 60 meals is 840NIS. Mona is dividing one meal between 3 children to make the food go further. She has also bought between 80 and 100 pairs of shoes for the children.

Mona is embarrassed to talk about money, to accept money and she hates to beg. When in the camp Mona’s parents and her own earnings from other jobs contributed to the running costs of the centre, your donations made it possible to do so much more. But now she is totally reliant on whatever can be spent. And she emphasises that nothing is enough.

At the moment, Mona is trying with the help of one or two other teachers to visit small groups of children in the various buildings and she wonders whether she could use some of the money you send to pay them.

She has no idea what the next day will bring and although one day she hopes to return to the camp and rebuild the centre, that seems a distant dream and all she can do now is to concentrate on doing what she can in the here and now. She remains strong and resolute and determined to do all she can with any support she is offered.

I do hope that this information is helpful Tony,