The ongoing arrest campaign being carried out by Israeli forces is
striking all segments of the Palestinian population. No one has
immunity. The latest development in this campaign is the arrest of
Palestinian students returning to their universities in neighboring
Arab countries after spending the holidays with their families in the
West Bank. The students have been detained or arrested on the King
Hussein Bridge, which connects the West Bank to Jordan.
Qalqilia resident 20 year old Mahmoud Hassan Naji was recently released after being arrested at King Hussein Bridge while on his way to Jordan, where he is an undergraduate student. Naji, who was held in detention for more than twenty days, told PNN, "I am afraid that I will not be able to visit my family any more this year for fear of being arrested again."
Another victim of Israeli arbitrary arrest is Qalqilia resident Dr. Youssef Shanti. Dr. Shanti was arrested during his return to Qalqilia after graduating from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Jordan. Dr. Shanti's family told PNN, "He was returning to the West Bank to work in the Palesinian hospital system. The lawyer told us that the Israeli investigation is revolving around issues that have nothing to do with security." They continued, "It seems that aim of this arrest campaign is to sabotage the education of Palestinian young people."
While some Palestinian students face fear of arrest, others have been banned from travelling altogether. Many promising students accepted to Jordanian and other Arab universities have had to postpone their enrollment until Israeli authorities allow them to travel.
Palestinian sources report that as many as 720 Palestinian students, many of whom attend universities outside Palestine, are currently being held in Israeli custody.
