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<h1 class="title">Israeli forces ‘wreak havoc’ in Birzeit University
raid</h1>
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<div class="stamp">Dec. 14, 2016 - <font size="-2"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=774416">http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=774416</a></font><br>
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<div style="font-style: normal;">RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- More than 20
Israeli military vehicles raided the campus of Birzeit University
in the central occupied West Bank district of Ramallah before dawn
on Wednesday, with Israeli forces ”leaving a great deal of havoc"
in their wake, an official university statement said.<br>
<br>
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<div style="font-style: normal;">After storming the campus through
its western gate, Israeli soldiers forced campus security guards
to stand against the walls, and proceeded to raid several
buildings, including the university's administration building, the
student council’s headquarters, Kamal Nasir Hall, and the Faculty
of Science.<br>
<br>
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<div style="font-style: normal;">Sources said soldiers smashed the
main door of the student council building before searching the
area and seizing several objects that were inside storage units
belonging to student blocs.<br>
<br>
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<div style="font-style: normal;">Students' flags and banners were
also confiscated, while property in the administrative building
and around campus were “sabotaged,” according to the university.Birzeit
University harshly condemned Israeli forces for the “continuation
of their barbaric aggression on our people and national
institutions,” adding that “These blatant attacks and subsequent
measures of harassment constitute outrageous interferences to our
right to education.”<br>
<br>
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<div style="font-style: normal;">However, the statement vowed that
the “attacks” would “not deter its commitment to higher education,
and the pivotal role it has played since its establishment.”“The
academic freedom of Palestinian academics and students is severely
hindered, due to the (Israeli) occupation, its policies, and
continuous defiance of the fundamental rights of our people and
the sanctity of our universities, and that must be defended,” the
statement said.An Israeli army spokesperson told Ma’an they would
look into reports of the raid.<br>
<br>
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<div><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div>
<div><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>Birzeit University,
which has been ranked<a
href="http://english.pnn.ps/2016/02/03/birzeit-university-ranked-top-palestinian-and-31st-across-the-arab-world/"
style="font-style: normal;" target="_blank"> the top university
in Palestine </a>and among the highest ranking universities in
the Arab world, has been the focus of an Israeli military
crackdown a number of times in recent months, which increased
after<a href="http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=771319"
style="font-style: normal;" target="_blank"> the
Hamas-affiliated Islamic bloc won student elections at Birzeit</a>
for the past two consecutive years.In July, at least 11
Palestinian youths were injured after <a
href="http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=772246"
style="font-style: normal;" target="_blank">Israeli undercover
forces and soldiers opened live fire in the campus</a> amid
clashes sparked by an Israeli raid to detain a former member of
the Islamic bloc.At the start of 2016, <a
href="http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=769754"
style="font-style: normal;" target="_blank">Israeli military
forces raided Birzeit</a>, destroying and confiscating
university equipment, having detained more than 80 students since
Oct. 2015 up until that point<br>
<br>
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<div style="font-style: normal;">Rights groups have <a
href="http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=765290"
target="_blank">widely condemned</a> the concerted detention of
Islamic bloc members at the university since their initial victory
in 2015, who have also been targeted by Palestinian security
forces. The Hamas movement is deemed illegal by the Israeli
government -- along with the majority of Palestinian political
factions and movements -- making students involved with the
Islamic bloc highly vulnerable to raids and arbitrary detentions.<br>
<br>
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<div style="font-style: normal;">Birzeit University noted in their
statement Wednesday that Israeli forces have also violently raided
other Palestinian universities, including <a
href="http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=770714"
target="_blank">Palestine Technical University - Kadoori</a>,
the <a href="http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=770791"
target="_blank">Arab American University of Jenin</a>, as well <a
href="http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=774037"
target="_blank">as Al-Quds University in Abu Dis.</a><br>
<br>
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<div style="font-style: normal;">"The university calls on the
international community and human rights organizations to
immediately put a stop to these raids and violations, and actively
engage in supporting our struggle for liberation," Birzeit stated.</div>
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