Last update - 00:00 14/05/2007
Nine arrested at J`lem student protest over proposed education reforms
Nine students were arrested on Monday in clashes with police during a protest rally in Jerusalem over proposed education reforms.
The protest rally began in the afternoon at the Jerusalem Rose Garden across from the Knesset. Over 2000 students and faculty members from all over the country took part in the rally.
The clashes with police began when the students tried to cross the street towards the Knesset.
Earlier Monday, negotiations between the Prime Minister's Office and the student representatives were rekindled in an attempt to bring the month-long students' strike to an end.
"We are still waiting for answers from the government", students said.
On Tuesday, the Knesset Education Committee will hold a meeting initiated by Likud MK Silvan Shalom regarding the student's strike. Committee Chair MK Michael Malchior (Labor-Meimad) invited Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Education Minister Yuli Tamir to the meeting.
"If a solution to this crisis is not on the horizon, we will present the bill proposed by MKs Alex Miller (Yisrael Beitenu) and Shalom on students' rights to second and third readings. This proposed bill sets tuition fees at a fixed amount and will bring and end to the strike," Malchior said.