Situation in the occupied Arab territories/Palestinian universities – Letter from Jordan

Letter dated 15 September 1982 from the Permanent Representative of

Jordan to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

At the request of the Permanent Observer of the Palestine Liberation Organization to the United Nations, Mr. Zuhdi Labib Terzi, I have the honour

to enclose herewith a memorandum which contains very ominous and disturbing information in consequence of the Israeli occupation authorities' attempts to

stifle university education in the occupied West Bank by imposing prohibitive demands and restrictions on the foreign teaching staffs from various nationalities

who form a very important segment of the teaching faculties at the various Palestinian universities.

This brazen Israeli interference in academic freedom and the Israeli attempts to scare away the foreign teaching staff of these faculties is a further dark blot on Israel's consistent record of ruthless suppression, expansion and aggression.

I request, Excellency, that this letter and the enclosed document from the Palestine Liberation Organization be circulated as official document of the General Assembly, under item 31 of the provisional agenda, and of the Security Council.

(Signed) Hazem NUSEIBEH

Ambassador

Permanent Representative

____________________

*A/37/15

ANNEX

Letter dated 13 September 1982 from the Permanent Observer of the

Palestine Liberation Organization to the United Nations

addressed to the President of the Security Council

On instructions of Yasser Arafat, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, I would like to relate to you the following grave incident of Israeli interference with academic freedom and intellectual institutions in the occupied Palestinian territory of West Bank.

The Israeli military authorities are trying to coerce foreign faculty members of Al Najah and Bethlehem Universities into signing the following political statement in order to renew their work permits:

ISRAELI DEFENSE FORCES

CIVIL ADMINISTRATION FOR JUDEA AND SAMARIA

_________________________________________________

Pursuant to my request for the issuance of a work permit for the

academic year 1982-1983 which was submitted on _____________ and with-

out affecting my general commitment as per the request referred the

above, I hereby declare that I am fully committed against indulging

in any act offering any assistance to the organization considered

to be hostile to the state of Israel as indicated in the act for the

prevention of acts of belligerence and enemy propaganda (Amendment

No.1) Judea and No. 938 5742-1982, such acts being of a direct or

indirect nature.

DATE: ______________

NAME OF APPLICANT: _______________

I.D./PASSPORT:  ________________

SIGNATURE OF APPLICANT:  ________________

Twenty-five foreign faculty members at Najah University and three at Bethlehem University who refused to sign the document have been refused the work permits and have been requested to leave the country. It is expected that similar action will be taken against the rest of the foreign faculty members (about 50 more) at other institutions.

Yesterday, the Israeli military authorities in the Occupied West Bank deported three lecturers from Al-Najah University in Nablus. The

three lecturers deported are: Tayseer Killani, Dean of the Faculty of Education, Yusuf Abdul Haq, head of the Economic Department, and Suleiman Samadi, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering. These three were among the first to refuse to sign the document which denounces the P.L.O., the internationally recognized representative of the Palestine people, as a terrorist organization.

This new repressive move comes in the context of the Israeli occupation policy of direct interference in the academic affairs of educational institutions. The policy is designed to stifle Palestinian cultural development and to try to rid the West Bank and Gaza of its intellectual leadership.

We urge that steps be taken to seek the withdrawal of the document and the return of the expelled foreign faculty, for without that, the institutions in the occupied territories will be almost paralyzed in terms of their operations for the forthcoming academic year.

Please accept, Excellency, assurances of my highest consideration.

Zuhdi Labib Terzi

Permanent Observer

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