Birzeit-- Regularly scheduled classes resumed today at Birzeit University after almost two weeks of suspension due to a strict closure on the West Bank imposed by the Israeli military authorities. The university announced this morning that classes would resume, despite the continued closure, in an attempt to salvage the summer semester. However, as thousands of students attempted to make their way up to the university this morning, they were met with escalated harassment at the main checkpoint on the road between the university and the town of Ramallah, the primary transportation route to the university.
Throughout the imposed closure, which is in the beginning of its third week, students and staff have been forced to take arduous back roads and detours to reach the campus, often taking three to four times the usual time to arrive, that is, if they are not stopped by the Israeli authorities. All public and private transport to the university is being obstructed. Today, vehicles were stopped and their passengers harassed in an unprecedented manner. New measures have been observed at checkpoints which arbitrarily prohibit West Bank residents from traveling on the road to the university.
A Birzeit University student reported to HRAP this morning an example of the new harassment tactics taken by the Israeli authorities. His taxi, en route to Birzeit University, was stopped at the checkpoint, along with two other taxis, and all passengers were required to get out of the car and line up at the side of the road. The passengers were forced to wait for approximately half an hour while one of the taxis was thoroughly searched. Israeli soldiers then demanded the identity cards of each passenger. After checking that the passengers were West Bank residents, the male passengers were told that they could pass, but the female passengers were told to stay at the checkpoint without any reason being given for their detention. Another student reported that soldiers were allowing all West Bank residents to pass by the checkpoint with the exception of residents of Ramallah, which contradicts reports an hour earlier that suggested only Ramallah and Birzeit residents were allowed to enter. The recent closure of the Ramallah-Birzeit road has seen a succession of arbitrary decrees, at the whim of individual soldiers, daily leaving those wishing to reach the university at a loss as to what to expect at any given moment.
The Human Rights Action Project (HRAP)of Birzeit University calls for the halting of the arbitrary harassment of its students and staff by the Israeli military authorities and the immediate lifting of the closure. The obstruction of access to the university campus and the collective punishment witnessed during these past two weeks, of all local residents, is in direct contradiction with and in violation of Articles 13 and 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. By continuing to seal Palestinians in their towns and preventing movement between them, despite the lack of security threat to Israelis in these Palestinian controlled areas devoid of Israeli civilians, and by denying access to education to Palestinians, Israel sends a clear message that it has no interest in maintaining peace with the vast majority of Palestinians, who wish to see an end to the conflict.
HRAP therefore calls on the international community to immediately call for an end to these measures against the Palestinian community. Faxes of protest can be sent to: Military Commander of the West Bank at fax number +972-2-997-7326 or by e-mail to the Israeli Government Information Service at ask@israel-info.gov.il.
Please send copies of all correspondence to: HUMAN RIGHTS ACTION PROJECT, Public Relations Office, Birzeit University, P.O. Box 14, Birzeit, West Bank, Palestine, Telephone: +972-2-998-2059 Fax: +972-2-995-7656, e-mail: hrap@admin.birzeit.edu
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Human Rights Action Project homepage - http://www.birzeit.edu/hrap/