Ministry for Diaspora Affairs | September 2024

Part F

01 According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, more than 200,000 students are enrolled in Palestinian universities and colleges in Gaza and Judea and Samaria. 27 02 In recent years, Israel thwarted several terrorist attacks that were planned by terrorists on Palestinian university perimeters in Judea and Samaria. 28 For instance, on September 24, 2023, an eight-member cell of Hamas-affiliated students was arrested on the campus of Birzeit University. They had weapons intended for terrorist attacks against Israeli facilities. 29 The cell was recruited and directed by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and its members were arrested on the university campus. According to the Israel Security Agency, Birzeit University is a fertile ground for recruiting operatives for terrorist organizations due to the university administration's policy, which, under the guise of freedom of expression, allows the promotion of hate speech and support for terrorist attacks. Young men and women are also recruited for such activities. 30 Similarly, terrorist cells arrested at An-Najah31 and Al-Quds universities, had planned suicide attacks in Israel and facilitated transferring funds to terrorism. 32 F. Antisemitism and Indoctrination Promoting the Destruction of Israel in the Higher Education system of the Palestinian Authority

27 https://www.pcbs.gov.ps/Portals/_Rainbow/Documents/Education2020_A.html 28 https://www.shabak.gov.il/reports/publications/1332017/ https://www.shabak.gov.il/ reports/publications/%D7%91%D7%99%D7%A8%D7%96%D7%99%D7%AA/ 29 https://www.shabak.gov.il/reports/publications/%D7%91%D7%99%D7%A8%D7%96%D7 %99%D7%AA/ 30 https://www.shabak.gov.il/reports/publications/%D7%A1%D7%99%D7%9B%D7%95%D7 %9C/ 31 https://did.li/rdGTY 32 https://www.shabak.gov.il/reports/publications/newitem231215/

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