[Israel Resource News Agency asked the US Embassy spokesman whether the US would take this report into consider before it allocates funds to Palestinian Universities. Secretary of State Rice, during her recent visit to Israel, made a point of stating that the US would increase its support for Palestinian Universities. No response has yet been received from the US government. – DB]

In the era of Abu Mazen, universities in the Palestinian Authority administered territories continue to serve as centers of incitement: preaching for terrorism in a leaflet published by the Islamic Bloc, Hamas’ student wing; the leaflet was distributed in the University of Hebron on the eve of the student council elections; students in the University of Bir Zeit repeated Arafat’s “battle cry” during a meeting held by Abu Mazen with Fatah students: “Millions of shahids marching on Jerusalem”.

For illustrations – www.intelligence.org.il/eng/sib/4_05/univ.htm

The back cover of the Islamic Bloc leaflet features a poster titled:

“The banner of resistance and jihad-our banner A banner that rejects humiliation, disrespect and defeatism The banner of loyalty to the blood of the shahids (martyrs) and the prisoners and to the suffering of the millions The banner of loyalty to Jerusalem, to the land and to the refugee camps Being a terrorist is an honor for you”

Universities in the Palestinian Authority administered territories as centers of incitement even in the era of Abu Mazen: The University of Hebron

General characteristics

  • Throughout the course of the violent confrontation with Israel, universities in the Palestinian Authority administered territories have served as centers of incitement for the various terrorist organizations.

  • Most prominent among those organizations is the Hamas movement, which has been conducting intensive incitement and indoctrination activities through the Islamic Bloc, the movement’s student wing. The results of this activity, both by Hamas and by the rest of the terrorist organizations, can be seen in the multiple instances of terrorist operatives-including suicide bombers and those who dispatch them-recruited while being students.

  • In the era of Abu Mazen, such incitement continues in the Palestinian Authority education system, including in the universities, without any significant counter-measures on the part of the Palestinian Authority. Such incitement was expressed in the course of the elections held during March and April in a number of universities, in most of which Hamas scored significant success 1.

In the context of the propaganda for the student council elections in the University of Hebron, the Islamic Bloc published, on the eve of the elections, a special leaflet titled “The Voice of the Islamic Bloc”. The leaflet stresses that the strategic goal of Hamas is an Islamic Palestine from the (Mediterranean) sea to the ( Jordan ) river, lashes out against Abu Mazen, glorifies the image of the shahids and preaches terrorism and hatred.

Several examples follow:

[1] In the elections held in the University of Hebron (March 16), the Islamic University of Gaza (March 14) and the Hebron Polytechnicum (March 5), Hamas won by a significant margin. In the University of Hebron, the Islamic Bloc (Hamas) won 24 seats compared to 13 won by the Shabiba (Fatah) and 3 won by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. In the American Arab University of Jenin (March 15), Fatah lost some of its strength and just barely managed to gain victory over Hamas. In the University of Bir Zeit (April 12), however, Fatah made an achievement by overcoming Hamas by a bare majority (still, it is not certain whether Fatah can ultimately gain control over the student council).

Abu Mazen shakes Sharon’s hand: delegitimization of the dialog and negotiations with Israel

Translation of the caption below the image: “You still find a hand to shake yours???

The blood of the shahid calls out to me:

Are you shaking the hand of my murderer?

Imagine, fellow student, that you are the brother of a shahid. and your mother is the mother of a shahid. How does it feel to see this handshake? Is it not a knife in the hearts of the mothers of the shahids, more painful than the loss of their sons.”

For illustrations

Glorification of “shahid” students: Photographs of Islamic Bloc shahids

For illustrations – www.intelligence.org.il/eng/sib/4_05/univ.htm

Praise for suicide bombing attacks: The last letter of terrorist Khalil al-Sharif, who perpetrated a suicide bombing attack on Ben Yehuda St. in Jerusalem on September 4, 1997 (“a terrorist attack in which 5 Zionists were killed and more than 200 others were wounded”).
[In actuality, 4 children and one parent were murdered in that attack – db]

For illustrations – www.intelligence.org.il/eng/sib/4_05/univ.htm

  • This is a letter claimed to be written by shahid student Khalil al-Sharif, who perpetrated the suicide bombing attack on Ben Yehuda St. in Jerusalem.

    The martyr student recounts how he joined the Fatah student movement in the University of Bir Zeit and even took part in its leadership. He explains how and why he joined the Islamic Bloc: he was faced with the need, as he puts it, to correct the “erroneous path” into which the Fatah movement strayed following the Oslo Accords. The letter ends with the words: “And so the martyr hero Khalil al-Sharif joined the ranks of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Martyrs Brigades (operative-terrorist wing of Hamas). Allah strengthened him [by allowing him to join] the jihad and conferred upon him the honor of martyrdom”.

    Universities in the Palestinian Authority administered territories as centers of incitement even in the era of Abu Mazen: The University of Bir Zeit

  • On April 14, Abu Mazen, Chairman of the Palestinian Authority, visited the University of Bir Zeit following the achievement made by Fatah’s student movement in the student council elections (April 12).

  • In his speech, Abu Mazen stated that this achievement would be followed by other successes and achievements and said, “I hope Allah will unite our victory with Jerusalem “. In response, the students started chanting Arafat’s battle cry: “Millions of shahids marching on Jerusalem”.

For illustrations – www.intelligence.org.il/eng/sib/4_05/univ.htm

This report was issued as a Special Information Bulletin of Center for Special Studies on April 19th, 2005

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