Free Palestinian Minister of Education

Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education, MOE website

H.E. Dr. Nasereddin Alshaer, the Palestinian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education and Higher Education was kidnapped by Israeli forces from his own home in Ramallah early hours on Saturday, August 19,2006. Dr. Alshaer’s kidnapping comes as part of the Israeli political arrest of members of the Palestinian legitimate government. Several Ministers as well as the Head and members of the Palestinian Legislative Council were kidnapped by Israeli military forces; an act that violates International Human Law and Human Rights.

We, at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, strongly denounce this act of terror and consider it an attempt to break our will at the beginning of the scholastic and academic year 2006/07. One million and two hundred thousand children are ready to start school beginning of September and around 149,624 university students will start the first academic semester at 11 universities and 33 colleges.

We at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Palestinian students, teachers, academia, and academic institutions have suffered daily from Israeli atrocities that tried in every way possible to hinder our work and stop us from accomplishing our missions. Palestinian children were targets to Israeli bullets and shelling. Our academic institutions were closed more than once by Israeli military orders. These institutions were also not safe from Israeli shelling and incursions. Teachers, students, and academia were never safe from Israeli political arrests.

However, despite all Israeli attempts to ruin the Palestinian education process, the Palestinian will and their commitment to a better future remain. During the past years and particularly during the past six months and despite all sanctions that were imposed on Palestinian children, we were able to conduct peacefully the General TAWJIHEE Examination. We were also able to carry on with our daily work and we are now preparing to start the school year beginning of next September.

We at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Palestinian students, teachers, academia, and academic institutions call on you, our friends and colleagues in the International Community to act promptly and to take all efforts to pressure the Israeli government to release Dr. Alshaer and all the Palestinian prisoners including Palestinian Ministers and Palestinian Legislative Council members and to allow us to continue our work as usual with no obstacles.