Palestine Center Congratulates Palestinian Students
For Immediate Release
Contact: Samar Assad
(202) 338-1290
Washington, D.C. (July 18, 2008) – The Palestine Center congratulates the thousands of Palestinian students who successfully passed the Tawjihi the general secondary examination.
According to results published on Friday by the Palestinian Ministry of Education, over 40,000 seniors passed the comprehensive exam, which is mandatory for students who plan to attend college.
Today’s announcement highlights the importance of ensuring that Palestinians’ right to education and access to institutes of higher education is protected. Too many Palestinian students have been denied the right to education due to Israel’s restrictions on movement of Palestinians.
The students’ celebration today is a reminder that an entire generation is ready to embark on the journey for a better future, and it is the obligation of the international community, specifically the United States, to have Israel allow them to do that.
The Palestine Center had addressed the issue of Palestinian students’ access to education in a letter from its chairman to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice:
July 16, 2008
The Honorable Condoleezza Rice Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20520
Dear Secretary Rice,As a Palestinian who was given the opportunity to pursue his higher education and medical studies in the United States, I would like to thank you for the key role you played in ensuring that the Palestinian Fulbright scholars and the awardees of U.S. scholarships have the opportunity to pursue their education and broaden their horizons to productively serve their people, homeland, the region and the world.
The positive outcome of this situation should not let us forget that the Israeli restrictions of movement on Palestinians affect every aspect of daily life for the 1.5 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and to a similar extent, the over 2 million Palestinians in the West Bank. It also serves to remind us that hundreds of Palestinian students who have been accepted to attend universities around the world, including in neighboring Arab countries and in the West Bank universities, have been prevented by Israel from traveling. Defending the right to education is an obligation of all peace seeking groups.
Sincerely,
Subhi D Ali, MD
Chairman
The Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Development
The Palestine Center is the educational program of the Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Development, an independent non-profit organization based in Washington, DC. Established in 1991, the Center provides a Palestinian perspective on U.S. policy in the Middle East, with particular emphasis on Palestine and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. For more information about The Palestine Center and the Fund’s cultural and humanitarian programs, visit The Jerusalem Fund.
