Israel Reopens Bethlehem Arab University Shut During Uprising
Bethlehem University reopened today, the first in the Israeli-occupied territories to resume classes since Israel shut all Arab universities during the Palestinian uprising.
University spokesman Musa Darwish said about 1,400 people registered for classes, about the same number of students the university had before it was closed by the army 35 months ago.
“Classes have begun with a hopeful feeling that they will be able to continue,” Darwish said. “We asked the (Israeli) civil administration to keep the soldiers away so they would not provoke the students.”
Military officials said Bethlehem will be a test case for the five other Arab universities in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip that have been shut throughout the revolt.
Bethlehem University was closed more than a month before the uprising began in December, 1987, following a clash between soldiers and students in which an Arab was shot to death.
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