Professors and lecturers who are employed at universities in the West Bank areas are facing complicated processes and harsh standards to obtain VISAs from Israel. They are finding the requests are denied, delayed or are granted for arbitrary periods of time that won’t allow for the completion of teaching contract requirements. CCS has written the Prime Minister of Israel requesting clarification ... Continue Reading>>
US Law Professor, Leading Delegation of Human Rights Activists, Denied Entry to Israel
Dr. Katherine Franke, a Professor of Law at Columbia University was leading a 15-member delegation of human rights activists to visit Israel and Palestine to learn about the human rights situation in both locales and to meet local advocates. All of the members of the delegation were allowed entry into Israel with the exception of Dr. Franke and Vince Warren, Director of the New York Center for ... Continue Reading>>
Birzeit University Student Council President Kidnapped by Israeli Forces for Student Activism
Omar Kiswani, the student council president at Birzeit University in the West Bank, was kidnapped by Israeli soldiers in early March. He was held at a detention center for a month without a charge nor access to an attorney. On April 2nd he was allowed an attorney visit. CCS has written the Israeli Minister of Justice requesting that Kiswani be charged or released April 28, 2018 Ayelet ... Continue Reading>>
Professor at Al-Quds University Administratively Detained Without Charges in Israel
Ahmad Qatamesh, a university professor and founder of the Munif Barghouti Research Center in the School of Humanities at Al-Quds University was arrested on May 14th and detained without being charged with a crime for his political opinions and writings. He has spent over eight years in jail in the past for the same situation over years. CCS has written the Israeli Minister of Defense requesting ... Continue Reading>>
Israel Bans Entrance to Country of British Professor Supporting BDS
Dr. Kamel Hawwash, British Professor in the School of Civil Engineering of the University of Birmingham travelled to Israel with his family to visit relatives in East Jerusalem. At the Tel Aviv airport Professor Hawwash was stopped, interrogated and put on a plane to Brussels. Israeli authorities noted the reason for restricting his entrance to the country was his support of the BDS movement ... Continue Reading>>
Palestinian Astro-Physicist Detained at Israeli Checkpoint for a Second Time
Imad al-Barghouthi, astro-physicist and Professor at al-Quds University has been detained for a second time at a checkpoint in Israel. No charges were filed. Professor Barghouthi is an astro-physicist and founder of the Arab Union of astronomy and science. He obtained his doctorate at the University of Utah and worked at the US space agency before returning to Jerusalem. In December 2014 he was ... Continue Reading>>
2015 Annual Report
During 2015, the Committee of Concerned Scientists continued to advocate on behalf of scientists, academics, engineers and physicians. We wrote in concern for more than 21 individuals or groups of individuals, located in 11 countries. We generally addressed our letters to the heads of state, as well as to the country’s ambassadors, the United States ambassador for the particular jurisdiction, ... Continue Reading>>
Good News: Palestinian Astronomer Released
Imad Barghouthi was released on Jan. 22, 2015, according to his lawyer, Jawad Boulos. Boulos said that at the hearing appealing the detention he presented the CCS letter to Prime Minister Netanyahu protesting Barghouthi's detention and that this had impressed the court. Barghouthi asked his lawyer to convey his gratitude to CCS. Related articles Israel's Detention of Palestinian Astronomer ... Continue Reading>>
Israel’s Detention of Palestinian Astronomer Traveling to Conference Violates Human Rights
CCS protests Israel's detention without charges of Dr. Imad al-Barghouthi, an astro-physicist and professor at al-Quds University, while he was traveling to the United Arab Emirates to a conference. Such interference with academic freedom and due process violates international conventions, CCS writes, as well as human rights specifically mentioned in Israel's agreement with the EU for research and ... Continue Reading>>
Business student deported from Israel
Berlanty Azzim, a resident of Bethlehem, who says that she entered the West Bank on a valid visa in 2005, is a month away from completing her studies in business management at a West Bank university. At the end of October, she was stopped at a checkpoint by Israeli soldiers and deported to Gaza, on the grounds that as a holder of an identity card with a Gaza address she was in the West Bank ... Continue Reading>>