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Palestinian Al-Quds University Fights for Israeli Recognition

The Israeli government says that the geographic division of Al-Quds University is at the heart of Israel's refusal to recognize it as an Israeli institution, writes Tali Heruti-Sover.
Palestinians look at a burning building at the al-Quds University after it was attacked by gunmen in Gaza February 2, 2007. Fighting between Palestinian factions escalated across Gaza on Friday, killing at least 11 people as Hamas overran compounds used by President Mahmoud Abbas' forces and Fatah set the Islamic University ablaze. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem (GAZA) - RTR1LWWO
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At the Palestinian Al-Quds University in Jerusalem they cannot really understand why the university is not officially recognized by Israel. All they know is that for many years now, they have been trying, along with the Israeli Council for Higher Education (CHE), headed by the minister of education, to find a way out of the mess, alas, to no avail.

As a result, the 14,000 students of the Al-Quds University, about a third of them Arabs holding Israeli blue ID cards, that is, citizens of Israel — who are studying various academic subjects, including medicine, pharmacy, education and social work — are not eligible for work in Israel because the academic degrees they receive are not recognized there.

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