|
Hundreds of students still stranded in Gaza
They squander their days watching TV and surfing the Web instead of studying, but it's not for lack of discipline: Gaza students accepted at foreign universities are stuck at home because Israel and Egypt won't let them leave the blockaded territory.The students' plight made headlines last week when Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice interceded with Israel on behalf of seven students with prestigious Fulbright scholarships awarded by the U.S. government. But hundreds without such powerful allies will likely lose their shot at a good education, given Gaza's sparse offerings. The blockade, imposed after Hamas' violent takeover of Gaza a year ago, is meant to bring down the Islamic militants and inspire Gazans to opt for a more moderate leadership. But critics say the closure, backed by the international community, is accomplishing the opposite. Hamas has become more entrenched and Gazans are growing more angry at the West as isolation worsens the strip's poverty, say the critics, who include both Israelis and Palestinians. They add that Gaza is also being robbed of future leaders the trapped students because they can't get the necessary training. "I feel that I'm lost," said Ahmed Nasrallah, who studied computer programming in London, but has been stuck in Gaza since a summer visit home last year. "I am a victim of a battle that I am not part of." The uproar over the Fulbright students touched only on a small part of what human rights groups consider collective punishment of Gaza's population. "This is not about seven students, it's about hundreds of students, 1.5 million people and the future of Gaza," said Sari Bashi, head of the Israeli human rights group Gisha, which is taking the government to court over the travel ban. Posted by: Fred 2008-06-08 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=241211 |