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PHRMG
completely condemns actions such as the bombing at Hebrew
University’s Mount Scopus campus an hour ago today,
killing 7 and injuring 31 people.
It is a blatant humanitarian crime to violently take
the lives of any innocent persons, Palestinian or Israeli.
Universities
must be safeguarded as places were students thrive without
the threat of harm. International
treaties adopted by the State of Israel (the Lima
Declaration of Academic Freedom and Autonomy of Institutions
of Higher Education, 1988) state that “Every member of the
academic community shall enjoy…the right to liberty and
security of person and freedom of movement” (Article 4).
PHRMG is against any violation that takes place at an
educational institution and demands that universities be
thoroughly protected.
This is
not the first time Hebrew University has been attacked.
Bombs exploded, in circumstances very similar to
today’s, in 1978 and 1988.
In 1978, the one carrying the bomb died in the
explosion as he set the bomb in the cafeteria, the same
location of today’s attack.
Hamas
has quickly claimed responsibility for this attack, in
retaliation for Israel’s attack with a F-16 fighter plane
that killed 15 Palestinian civilians (7 children) and
injured 150 others in their homes in Gaza just over a week
ago, on July 23, in the assassination of Salah Shehadeh.
Since this incident, attacks in Israel have become
more widespread and increased 300%.
·
On
July 25, a Palestinian man killed an Israeli settler in
Qalquilya.
·
On July
26, Palestinians attacked two Israeli cars near Hebron,
killing 4 settlers and injuring 2.
·
On July
28, Palestinians stabbed an Israeli settler near Beit
Shemesh
·
On July
28, Palestinians attacked Nitser Khazay settlement in the
Gaza Strip
·
On July
29, Palestinians attacked Nisani settlement in the Gaza
Strip
·
On July
29, Palestinians attacked Netzarim settlement in the Gaza
Strip
·
On July
30,A Palestinian man stabbed a settler in Atmar settlement
inside Nablus.
·
On July
30, Al-‘Aqsa Brigades took responsibility for two
Palestinian men shooting and killing two settler men in the
village of Jama’ien.
·
On July
30, a 17 year old Palestinian boy blew himself up in West
Jerusalem, injuring 9 Israelis.
Before
the Israeli attack in Gaza, all Palestinian brigades had
agreed to stop bombing and other violent attacks on innocent
civilians inside Israel.
This agreement was a step toward greater security and
protection of Israeli lives.
Since the bombing in Gaza, there is an increase in
the death of civilians, including children, and as seen
today, even the universities are unsafe.
Also
today, the policy of arresting and deporting families and
associates of men suspected of violence to the Gaza Strip
has again been considered by the Israeli government.
PHRMG completely opposes deportations of anyone for
any reason. Deportation
and all other forms of collective punishment are in
violation of international law (4th Geneva
Convention). House
demolitions, also prohibited by the Geneva Convention, are
also threatened and carried out as punishment on those not
guilty of crimes, only having a relation to a suspected
person.
Hamas,
claiming responsibility for today’s bombing of Hebrew
University, stated that this, leaving bombs as opposed to
suicide bombing, is their new policy in response to the
threat of deportation.
There
have been 104 suicide bombs since the beginning of this
Intifada in September 2000.
These bombs have claimed 227 Israeli lives, 46 of
them minors, and an additional 52 members of Israeli
security.
PHRMG condemns all
violators of human rights of any and all people.
We strongly oppose the bombing today, as well as the
crimes, real and threatened, of the Israeli government
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