University life and Palestinian nationalism have been inseparable since the 1960s, when the Fatah movement was formed by student activists in Egyptian universities. Since then and throughout the world, Palestinian nationalism has been part of university life, and nowhere more so than in Palestine. 

This fact has not gone unnoticed by Islamist student activists. University students supporting the various Islamic movements such as the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and Islamic Jihad have been very active in various Palestinian universities, often making impressive victories. The Palestinian split between Gaza and the West Bank, as well as between PLO nationalists and Islamists, is reflected in student-council elections.

While current reconciliation efforts continue to be met with skepticism from most Palestinian circles, a recent development may provide a kernel of hope for Palestinian unity. Student-council elections due to take place Tuesday, April 23 in Palestine’s largest university, An Najah, will witness the participation of a pro-Hamas student list. This will be the first time that Hamas supporters have participated in student-council elections in this university in six years.

Hamas’ reintroduction to student-council elections in An Najah University also signals a renewed interest by the Islamist movement in political life in the West Bank. The timing of this decision is no coincidence. It comes after a major reshuffle in the highest political body in Hamas. The re-election of Khaled Meshaal, originally a West Banker, and the failure of Gaza hardliners such as Mahmoud al-Zahar and Adnan Risheq reflect a movement that is moving back to the center of Palestinian politics.