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Please sign and return to ggolan@idc.ac.il, cc to caddad@netvision.net.il, Thanks.
On the morning of 9 July 2002 Jerusalem police entered the administration building of Al Quds University, ordered everyone out and proceeded to confiscate all documents in the offices, including computer disks. They left with some 40 boxes of material and closed the building. The police operated under an order from the Israel Minister of Internal Security, Uzi Landau, citing a "violation of the Interim Agreement," namely the Oslo accords, regarding jurisdiction of the Palestine Authority--which, according to the order, was operating through the University Administration and its President Dr. Sari Nusseibeh.
It is ironic that one of the government ministers most vociferously opposed to the Oslo accords should suddenly be claiming to enforce them. But far more serious is the act of virtually closing an institution of higher learning. It should be added that this act, in itself abhorrent, was committed without any prior notification, during the absence abroad of the President of the University, without a hearing or any other opportunity for clarification from the University.
The closure of a University at any time (by closing down its administration, is a drastic and rappochable step under any circumstances. Even a claim of security considerations during time of war does not justify such an act, but no such claim was made in this case since in fact both the area of East Jerusalem and Al Quds University, including its staff and student body, have not been involved in the disturbances of the Intifada over the past two years.
Al Quds University has been operating peacefully and legally for over twenty years, providing higher education to students from Jerusalem and the surrounding areas. A highly respected institution, it conducts numerous joint research projects with Israeli institutions of higher learning such as the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv University, as well as with well-known institutions abroad. The closure order is targeted against the University's President, Dr. Sari Nusseibeh whom, the closure order claims, is acting together with the University administration as "representatives" of the Palestine Authority. Since 2001, Dr. Nusseibeh is in fact the PLO official responsible for Jerusalem affairs, independently either of the Palestine Authority or Al Quds University. The only "political" work Dr. Nusseibeh has conducted as President of Al Quds would be the joint research, conferences and the like that he has undertaken, with Israelis and others, in the area of conflict resolution.
Dr. Nusseibeh is, however, one of the most well-known and courageous Palestinian intellectuals who have been speaking and acting in the interests of cooperation with Israel and a non-violent solution to the conflict. He has repeatedly publicly expressed his moderate views, including some of the most conciliatory positions proposed by a Palestinian regarding such controversial issues as the right of return. In view of this, one can only conclude that targeting Dr. Nusseibeh is an attempt by the government of Israel to silence one of the very persons who might facilitate the return to negotiations and the achievement of a non-violent solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
As Israeli educators we protest the closure of the Administration of Al Quds University and this move against its President Dr. Sari Nusseibeh. We call upon academics everywhere to join us in the demand that Al Quds, under its President Dr. Sari Nusseibeh, be permitted to return resume it functions fully and immediately.
Signed
Professor Galia Golan, Emeritus Darwin Professor, Department of Political Science, Hebrew University
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