Warning: Don’t travel to Arab villages
Haifa University distributes document among its foreign students saying, ‘It is prohibited to travel in the West Bank and Gaza; refrain from entering Arab population centers in Israeli territory, including east Jerusalem and the Old City.’ Social group: This is blatant incitement against the Arab population by an academic institution that is supposed to educate for democracy, equality and tolerance
Although five years have passed since the October 2000 riots, Haifa University is still warning its foreign students not to travel to “Arab population centers in Israeli territory.”
The warning is published in a document titled “Special Security Instructions,” which is distributed among the university’s foreign students.
The university said it would change the document’s wording following Ynet’s inquiry into the matter and complaints made by Arab human rights groups.
The document also states, “It is prohibited to travel to the West Bank and Gaza; refrain from entering Arab population centers in Israeli territory, including east Jerusalem and the Old City.”
The Association for Social Advancement in Haifa, which demanded that Haifa University publish a revised edition of the document, said in a statement, “This is blatant incitement against the Arab population by an academic institution that is supposed to educate for democracy, equality and tolerance. The document not only sheds light on how the university views its Arab students, it also shows how it treats them.”
“Haifa University takes pride in being an institute of ‘co-existence,’ and as such it receives substantial financial support. If the document will not be revised, we will make sure it reaches the hands of the board of governors and we will also consider taking legal action,” the statement said.
'Apology not enough'
Some 3,000 Arab students are enrolled in Haifa University, and they make up roughly 13 percent of the entire student body.
The university said in response, “We apologize for the anguish that was caused to the students. The document was drafted during the October 2000 events, when guidelines for foreign students became stricter. We have instructed the Foreign Students Department to revise the document.”
“It is important to note that the Foreign Students Department encourages real dialogue among students from different religions, cultures, and nationalities; the department, in cooperation with the Jewish-Arab Center, also organizes meetings between foreign and Arab students.”
Attorney Nasser Nasrallah, who is representing the Association for Social Advancement in Haifa, said, “The damage (the document is causing) is being done for the past five years; in my opinion it became irrelevant as early as 2000, especially in Haifa.”
“It is not enough to say, ‘sorry, we made a mistake.’ Action must be taken so the foreign students will know that there is an Arab population in Israel. Arab neighborhoods in Haifa are also Arab population centers.”
