We, faculty and staff at Birzeit University, appeal to our colleagues and friends around the world to help us in delivering our simple but urgent message: Let our people live!
We will be delivering this message in peaceful marches of protest to the Israeli soldiers and tanks that currently prevent us from reaching our university by the only road that allows accessibility and that has been recently blocked.
The suffering of Palestinians in surrounding villages who are cut off from their livelihoods, health care, schools and markets is also acute. So far, protests have been met only with bullets and tear gas. We need your help to bring our message to the world.
The wave of violence against the Palestinian population has reached unprecedented proportions. The Israeli army's policy of siege through blocking roads and digging trenches around towns and villages has been escalating, making it practically impossible to meet people's most basic needs. This policy has now reached Birzeit University, preventing us and our students from reaching campus to continue our classes, laboratories and academic life.
On 7 March 2001, in the dead of night, the Israeli army destroyed portions of the only road linking the university to Ramallah, gouging out trenches and destroying about 400 metres of asphalt. This damage to the only road linking the city of Ramallah to Birzeit village and 33 other villages with a population of about 65,000 has resulted in the total disruption of daily life.
To date, cars, ambulances and provisions are not able to cross to and from Birzeit and surrounding villages. Most Palestinian populated areas have already been hermetically sealed, disregarding all standards of dealing with civilians and contravening international law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention.
These measures are, in the full sense of the term, war crimes. With these actions, it becomes clear that such policies are part of a long-term strategy that Israel is pursuing in both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. This strategy has been adopted by successive Israeli governments, both of [Ehud] Barak and [Ariel] Sharon, in order to subjugate the entire population and force them to accept the unacceptable.
We call on you to act now:
1. Call for an immediate end to the closures policy.
2. Call for the international protection of the Palestinian population.
3. Demand that Israel abide by international law.
Call the nearest Israeli embassy in your area, or email your protests to the following Israeli government ministers:
For further information, please visit the Birzeit University website.