Teachers\' political dismissal claims referred to top court

The case of a group of teachers claiming wrongful dismissal was referred to to the highest judicial authority in the West Bank on Sunday, lawyers said. Ghandi Rabee, a lawyer for the independent commission for human rights, said the referral by a Ramallah court to the High Court's general committee would solve the problem at its roots. Amid the Palestinian factional division since 2007, several teachers in the West Bank have filed suit against the Fatah-led PA over wrongful dismissal, alleging their contracts were terminated due to their political support for Hamas. The group of teachers held a sit-in after the session at the High Court, protesting further delays to a ruling on their situation. The High Judicial Council later summoned the teachers to insist that the court would not be influenced by any form of pressure. The presiding judge said they appreciate the difficult situation the teachers face, and assured them the general committee of the High Court would attend to their file within two weeks. Fatah and Hamas split bitterly over Hamas' electoral success in 2006, running separate governments in the West Bank and Gaza Strip since 2007. Both factions accuse the other of persecuting their political supporters.