Court upholds ban on Gaza residents studying in Israel

[Purveyor]

The High Court of Justice this week upheld a ban on students from the Gaza Strip studying at universities in Israel.

The ruling was in response to a petition filed by the nonprofit organization Gisha on behalf of Gaza resident Wisam Madhoon, who would like to enroll in a Ph.D. program in environmental science at Tel Aviv University. It essentially accepted the state's position that Gaza residents have no inherent right to study in Israel, and that there are good diplomatic and security reasons for barring them.

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"Studying at Tel Aviv University is my only chance to advance as a researcher in the field of environmental science," Madhoon said in a telephone interview from Gaza, explaining that there are no Ph.D. programs in this field in Gaza or the West Bank. He is unable to travel abroad because of financial constraints.

The policy that prevents Gaza residents from studying in Israel is "neither fair nor smart," he added. "It would be an opportunity to forge human and academic ties in order to build a better future for Israelis and Palestinians."

Currently, Israel forbids Gaza residents from entering Israel except "in special humanitarian cases." However, in 2006, some 3,000 to 4,000 entry permits were granted, for medical treatment, work, business and family reasons.

---EOE---

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/868538.html

[msmcghee]

1. Perhaps Mr. Madhoon should write a letter to the editor of . .

. . his local Palestinian newspaper pointing out the stupidity of Hamas' policy of effectively declaring war against Israel and supporting militants' attempts to kill Israeli citizens - when all Palestinians could benefit so much from peaceful relations with Israel.

But, then that would probably be the last letter he would ever write.