"After stopping me at the roadblock, the Israeli soldiers attacked me and brutally beat me, using their gun buts, which were aimed solely at my head" — a Birzeit University student.
RAMALLAH — Dr. Carmela Armanious-Omary, the vice president for administrative and financial affairs at Birzeit University, expressed her deepest concern and outrage at the illegal Israeli policy of closure of the Ramallah-Birzeit road, which prohibits 5,000 students and 600 staff members from reaching Birzeit University.
In a press conference held at the Palestine Media Center (PMC) in Ramallah on June 2, Dr. Omary briefed the press about the daily suffering that students and staff continuously face, while crossing the "Surda" roadblock, leading to the university. She emphasized that the occupation soldiers have violated all forms of human rights at this roadblock by arbitrarily shooting tear gas, sound bombs, rubber-coated steel bullets, and live ammunition at students and citizens of neighboring villages. What is more, Dr. Omari stressed that these Israeli assaults and humiliations have been systematic, and prove that the Israeli occupation seeks only to totally disrupt the educational process. "By placing this roadblock at Surda, the Israeli occupation authorities aim to totally disrupt the academic process and close Birzeit University, knowing that the university has not formally announced the termination of the ongoing academic semester." "Israeli occupation authorities alleged that placing this roadblock was for security reasons." Dr. Omari stated. "However, if we look at Surda, we would see that in fact it links Palestinian villages and areas that do not lead to the 'Green Line'", she added, responding to these allegations.
Moreover, Dr. Omari reiterated that the closure of this road does not serve any "security" purposes but rather aims to deny access to education and humanitarian relief, humiliate the Palestinian People, and impede their ability to lead a normal life.
Mu'taz Khdeir, a 3rd year student at Birzeit University, described how the Israeli occupation soldiers at the Surda roadblock physically assaulted him. "After stopping me at the roadblock, the Israeli soldiers attacked me and brutally beat me, using their gun buts, which were aimed solely at my head". Mu'taz then added that the occupation soldiers prevented everyone, including medical staff, from reaching him. It was only until an Arab-American, Dr. Ahmad Baker, intervened that he was allowed to be taken to hospital. Mu'taz stated that, according to the doctors that treated him, he had suffered internal bleeding because of a series of blows to his right temple. He further explained that he was placed in an intensive care unit for a week, after which he was given intensive medication.
Finally, Dr. Carmela emphasized the university's appeal to the international community to end the continuous repressive Israeli policy of closure, to work on ending Israel's violations of human rights, and to support the Palestinians' inalienable right to education.
Below is a transcript of the University's press release and statement:
The Israeli Occupation Forces once again implemented the illegal policy of closure on the Ramallah-Birzeit Road prohibiting thousands of students, faculty and staff from reaching Birzeit University. Since March of 2001, the Israeli occupation forces have systematically attempted to totally disrupt the educational process at Birzeit University by digging up trenches, erecting dirt hills, and placing military checkpoints that have partially or totally blocked pedestrian and vehicular traffic on the Ramallah-Birzeit Road. Israeli soldiers at the "Surda Military Checkpoint" on the road have contravened all forms of human rights by arbitrarily shooting tear gas, sound bombs, rubber bullets and live ammunition at university community members and the inhabitants of the 35 villages and towns surrounding Birzeit, including children, the elderly and the disabled, attempting to cross the checkpoint.
The Ramallah-Birzeit Road connects between the Palestinian city of Ramallah and its surrounding Palestinian villages and towns. As such, the closure of this road does not serve any "security" purpose as is claimed by the Israeli government. The only purpose for the checkpoint and closure of this road is to deny access to the university, destroy the economic and social infrastructure of Palestinian society, humiliate the Palestinian civilian population, deny them access to humanitarian relief, and impede their ability to survive. By closing the road to Birzeit University, the Israeli government is attempting to incapacitate Palestinian society by halting the educational and developmental process. Birzeit University is facing major delays in completing the second semester, entailing the inability of hundreds of students to graduate. Furthermore, as a direct result of the Israeli closures and ongoing Israeli occupation the university is facing major financial difficulties and is being isolated from the local, regional and international academic world.
Israel's arbitrary and extreme use of violence against the Palestinian civilian population, the denial of access to food, social and health services, work and schools, the deliberate attempts to disrupt the Palestinian cultural, educational, and social institutions and organizations, including the continuous forced closure of Birzeit University, are all violations of international law including the Fourth Geneva Convention. These violations show a total disregard for Palestinian rights and for the legitimacy of the international community and international law, declarations and resolutions. The university demands an immediate end to the repressive illegal policy of closure. We call on the international community to express, in the strongest terms, their condemnation of the massive Israeli human rights violations against the Palestinian predominantly civilian population and to support Palestinians' rights to education, development, and life.
