Harassment Continues on the Ramallah-Birzeit Road

Today witnessed further harassment of Birzeit University students and staff. An Israeli checkpoint was set up on the Birzeit road at 1:10 PM, soldiers were stopping and searching every single car and every passerby in both directions, to and from Birzeit. This caused great delays; a 10-minute commute to the University has become a one-hour ordeal of humiliation and delays. This form of harassment has also been used during the first day of classes and at other times during the past week. In addition, army tanks are still a visible threat looming over the road.

This haphazard policy of erecting checkpoints at will and harassment of students and staff is a violation of the right to education and freedom of movement, which are fundamental human rights.

The University demands that the Israeli army leave the road, desist in harassing students, staff and thousands of villagers at will, and allow students and staff to pursue their studies and teaching in a calm, non-military atmosphere. Birzeit University and staff also urge the international community to continue the pressure to lift the siege of all Palestinian towns and villages as a first step towards ending the Israeli occupation and establishing a just peace of equal partners, rather than oppressors and victims.