Subscribe to Print Edition | Sat., August 11, 2007 Av 27, 5767 | | Israel Time: 10:40 (EST+7)
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Shin Bet security service bars Gazan from studying overseas
By Amira Hass, Haaretz Correspondent

Around 150 Palestinian students applied for an academic scholarship from Germany last year. Only six applicants made the cut, among them Luay Kfafi, 24, a student at Birzeit University in the West Bank and native of the al-Bureij refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. But Israel's Shin Bet security service has barred him from traveling abroad.

Asked by Haaretz about Kfafi's case, the Shin Bet said that "there is information allegedly linking him to terrorists," and therefore "under the circumstances, his going abroad would appear to endanger national security."

In the seven years he has lived in Ramallah, Kfafi has not been arrested, detained or summoned for questioning by the Shin Bet. Last June he even traveled to the Allenby Bridge, where the Shin Bet routinely arrests or detains anyone suspected of posing a risk to national security.

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Kfafi was held up for hours, and told that a Gazan doesn't have a chance of crossing and had better go to Gaza's Rafah crossing. But he was not arrested, questioned or interrogated.

Kfafi enrolled in September 2000 to study mechanical engineering at Birzeit, before he turned 18, and has proved an excellent student. While studying for his master's degree over the past two years, he also worked as a research assistant in the department and even taught several introductory classes.

Dr. Helga Baumgarten, a teacher at Birzeit and director of the German Academic Exchange Service information center, East Jerusalem, is impressed by Kfafi's ability to excel at his studies under the toughest conditions. Not only is he one of many children in a refugee family that cannot afford to help him financially, but as a Gazan in the West Bank, he has been separated from his kin for seven years, on his own in a society that is based on family support.

He reached the West Bank through the safe passage, use of which was suspended when the intifada broke out in late September 2000. The Israeli authorities soon made it clear that any Gazans living in the West Bank were "illegal residents," even if they had lived, worked and started families there. Hundreds were deported to Gaza, while the rest - like Kfafi - were careful not to move about more than necessary. For years Kfafi's life was confined to the radius between his rented room in the town of Birzeit and the university.

Last May, Kfafi filed an initial request to leave through the Allenby Bridge. His request was rejected, with no explanation. The German embassy intervened, applying to the office of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories to permit Kfafi to leave. The embassy was told that Kfafi is an illegal resident in the West Bank and must leave through Rafah. But going to Gaza would have placed him in even more Kafkaesque situations, says attorney Noam Sela of Gisha - Center for the Legal Protection of Freedom of Movement.

Kfafi cannot travel through Israel without a permit. He cannot apply for that permit in the West Bank because he is considered an illegal resident. Even were he to wrangle a permit somehow, the Rafah terminal is closed for long periods and opens only for a few hours at a time. He might have been stranded in Gaza for months.

After Hamas' takeover of Gaza in June shut down Rafah completely, the Germans intervened again. This time Kfafi was granted permission to leave, but it was retracted days later: The Shin Bet said Kfafi was barred for security reasons. As usual in these matters, Kfafi has no chance to disprove the allegations, so Gisha has taken up his case and plans to pursue it in court.

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  1.   MOHAMMED ATTA Also studied in Germany 05:09  |  PETER SM 10/08/07
  2.   #1 Peter, PALs should not be students. 06:35  |  Kevin 10/08/07
  3.   Amira 07:09  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 10/08/07
  4.   KEVIN Your therefore not mine. 08:51  |  PETER SM 10/08/07
  5.   # 1 Peter 08:54  |  jay 10/08/07
  6.   "HANNAH"based on past experience the Germans may be VERY grateful 09:00  |  PETER SM 10/08/07
  7.   KEVIN we haven?t thought of that one, GOOD IDEA 09:30  |  Gil 10/08/07
  8.   Rantisi was also an excellent student... 09:42  |  don 10/08/07
  9.   offer him to study at Israeli University instaed 10:15  |  Gazan Student 10/08/07
  10.   Its not fair 10:29  |  Hakeem 10/08/07
  11.   PETER SM - a master Logician without logic 11:10  |  dana 10/08/07
  12.   This Haaretz article is contradictory 11:28  |  Rolandus 10/08/07
  13.   Let them go and study abroad 11:31  |  Yuval 10/08/07
  14.   #12 don from toronto - another genius logician 11:31  |  dana 10/08/07
  15.   Kafka 11:35  |  Murray 10/08/07
  16.   And then we wonder why they become terrorists 11:43  |  Michael Steiner 10/08/07
  17.   Article contradictory # second part 11:50  |  Rolandus 10/08/07
  18.   Support the academic boycott of Israel!! 12:32  |  Palestinian in UK 10/08/07
  19.   Michael Steiner #16 12:48  |  Rolandus 10/08/07
  20.   Gazan Student 13:29  |  Hannah 10/08/07
  21.   Michael Steiner 13:34  |  Hannah 10/08/07
  22.   boycotting 13:41  |  democrat 10/08/07
  23.   LIKE OCCUPIER AT ANY TIME IN HISTORY 13:53  |  indrajaya 10/08/07
  24.   # 21, HANNAH 14:02  |  indrajaya 10/08/07
  25.   Bar Israeli students!!! 14:24  |  El_Justiciero 10/08/07
  26.   to Kevin 14:28  |  Emad 10/08/07
  27.   full support for the british boycott 14:30  |  mehmet 10/08/07
  28.   #24, Indrajaya 14:37  |  Hannah 10/08/07
  29.   who is Israel to decide who lives where ?? 14:41  |  mehmet 10/08/07
  30.   It`s the occupation stupid [end] 14:43  |  Gil 10/08/07
  31.   This is just an irrational act to show who the boss is,just as 14:43  |  lakshmi 10/08/07
  32.   Hold Your Fire 14:59  |  Za`atar 10/08/07
  33.   British academics: ATTENTION 15:37  |  STUDENT IN JERUSALEM 10/08/07
  34.   #7 Gil, love your sense of humor [end] 16:08  |  kevin 10/08/07
  35.   No other occupiers Indra? 16:10  |  Hannah 10/08/07
  36.   FALSE HANNAH ALERT! #20, 21 16:14  |  Hannah 10/08/07
  37.   Why doesn`t he appeal to the Egyptians 16:40  |  Chick 10/08/07
  38.   Crushing human spirit 16:44  |  Ahmad Alanani 10/08/07
  39.   Even Kafka had his moments of insight#15 - Murray 17:17  |  William 10/08/07
  40.   boycot not enough 17:20  |  Space 10/08/07
  41.   Mehmet#29 - Israel has every right 17:21  |  William 10/08/07
  42.   Indrajaya#23 - when Pals study brain surgery, call me 17:25  |  William 10/08/07
  43.   Lakshmi#31 - When I can study in Saudi Arabia... 17:30  |  William 10/08/07
  44.   #22 17:49  |  Shana 10/08/07
  45.   No. 1--What about Baruch Goldstein? 18:00  |  W 10/08/07
  46.   what is a terrorist 18:07  |  Dolores 10/08/07
  47.   clearly, shin bet asked him to collaborate... 18:08  |  Thinkpad 10/08/07
  48.   Lakshmi & Lebanon (#31) 18:23  |  Gil 10/08/07
  49.   Mehmet - Who are you to tell Israel what to do? 19:06  |  David Israel 10/08/07
  50.   Mehmet #29 19:22  |  David Israel 10/08/07
  51.   Perhaps he really is banned for security reasons 19:22  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 10/08/07
  52.   Gil, Lakshmi, Lebanon (31 & 45) 19:25  |  Kevin 10/08/07
  53.   Freedom From Israeli Oppression 19:51  |  JH 10/08/07
  54.   Get your facts straight, William #43 and Chick #37 19:51  |  Kevin 10/08/07
  55.   #51 20:11  |  JH 10/08/07
  56.   Occupation of Gaza 20:23  |  Fred 10/08/07
  57.   to Kevin- learn English 20:24  |  Chick 10/08/07
  58.   Damned if they do, and damned if they don`t 20:30  |  Marlene N. 10/08/07
  59.   Gazans made their collective beds. Now its time to sleep in them 21:06  |  Richard S 10/08/07
  60.   stupid and shortsighted 21:12  |  MarkC 10/08/07
  61.   Kevin: get your facts straight 21:27  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 10/08/07
  62.   Richard S.- read the article 21:46  |  Josh Goldman 10/08/07
  63.   Chick # 57, sorry you misunderstood the title. 21:49  |  Kevin 10/08/07
  64.   Academic freedom - Zionist-style 21:52  |  Josh Goldman 10/08/07
  65.   Kevin and Lebanon # 52 (1) 21:54  |  Gil 10/08/07
  66.   Say what? 21:58  |  Baz Mann 10/08/07
  67.   Bocott, Divest and Sanction Israel Until They Suffer Equally 22:12  |  Mr. Knowitall 10/08/07
  68.   Margie #61, U R right, I left the number killed. sorry. 22:16  |  Kevin 10/08/07
  69.   MarkC - Good point but... 22:18  |  David Israel 10/08/07
  70.   Kevin and Lebanon # 52 (1) 23:49  |  Gil 10/08/07
  71.   Kevin and Lebanon # 52 (2) 23:50  |  Gil 10/08/07
  72.   FALSE HANNAH ALERT! #35 00:14  |  Hannah 11/08/07
  73.   #59, Richard S. 00:22  |  Hannah 11/08/07
  74.   Kevin and Lebanon # 52 (3) 09:40  |  Gil 11/08/07
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