Palestinian Minister of Education and Higher Education Sabri Saidam Sunday affirmed his ministry’s utmost rejection of all restrictions imposed by the Israeli occupation authorities on foreign academics seeking higher education in Palestine.
The condemnation was voiced during a meeting with a delegation of a grassroots campaign “for the protection of foreign passport holders residing in or visiting the occupied Palestinian Territories”.
The delegation consisted of campaign activist Sam Bahour Rana Barakat and ‘Abla ‘Aranki from Birzeit University.
Saidam said his ministry will keep tabs on the campaign’s file and follow up with concerned parties on key issues to be discussed at the Higher Education Council’s upcoming meeting.
He stressed the need to combine all efforts through political diplomatic and media channels in order to pressure the Israeli occupation to put an end to its arbitrary measures imposed on the entry of foreign academics into the occupied Palestinian territories.
Saidam said such restrictions deprive academics from contributing to the development of the Palestinian higher education in general and the research field in particular.
The delegation briefed the minister on the impact of Israeli restrictions on the entry of foreign academics on the development of educational institutions calling on international academic institutions official authorities and global civil society bodies to support the campaign and halt all measures that inhibit the entry and residency of foreign academics in the occupied Palestinian territories.
