Israeli Army Harass Birzeit University

The Israeli occupation forces have in recent days driven up to the Birzeit University campus harassing and intimidating the staff and students. The provocative presence of the army on the premises of the University is distressing to the University community, and on one occasion, the army forced the guards to open the gates and prevented them from informing the University administration of their presence.

There currently are 2536 students enrolled in the summer course at the University whose education will be hindered if the army continues these aggravating methods. Since the beginning of the Intifada, the University students have been putting extra effort to come to the University through the endless checkpoints to study and finish their education, and have avoided direct confrontation with the army.

It should be noted that there still is a sporadic checkpoint on the Ramallah-Birzeit Road halting cars and delaying people from reaching their destination on time. The presence of the Israeli occupation army is just another measure of coercing the students and should be immediately stopped.