Students at the Bir Zeit University near Ramallah declared a general strike today to protest Israeli policy in the occupied territories. There were no classes either at the A-Najah College in Nablus. Students accused the Military Government of preventing them from entering the college.
Students at both colleges said today that this development indicated a new trend by the Military Government. They said the army intended to harass the students and the lecturers to frighten them and thus prevent any further escalation of the situation in the West Bank. They suggested that the Military Government did not want to close down the colleges altogether because of negative reactions in the past.
About 1,000 students and lecturers at Bir Zeit University joined a march yesterday from Bir Zeit to Ramallah protesting the arrests of “dozens” of students. The march was led by university vice president Dr. Gabi Baramki. The Military Government intends to press charges against him. The president was deported several years ago and has since directed the university’s business from Beirut.
Military sources denied that there was a policy of harrassment. However, they stressed that they would maintain order and prevent any attempt to break the law.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
