Israel Matzav

Bir Zeit University closed

Bir Zeit University in Samaria has been closed indefinitely in an effort to prevent ongoing violence between supporters of Hamas and Fatah.

Students told The Jerusalem Post that Fatah supporters have been harassing and threatening Hamas-affiliated students for the past three weeks. They said that at one stage, the Fatah students raided the offices of the pro-Hamas student list and confiscated computers and documents.

Fistfights and verbal altercations between the two rival parties had also become a daily scene on campus. Last week, a senior PA official invited to attend a ceremony was heckled and threatened by Hamas supporters.

On Wednesday tensions grew even higher as scores of Fatah students attacked a large group of Hamas students. According to witnesses, some 90 Hamas students were holed up for hours inside the Faculty of Science after being attacked with stones and clubs. At least 19 students were wounded in the fighting.

Hamas spokesmen claimed that PA policemen who were summoned to the university joined the Fatah students in their attack.

But Gen. Majed Faraj, commander of the PA's Military Intelligence Force, denied the charges, saying no policemen had entered the campus.

"What's happening in Bir Zeit University is part of a power struggle between rival student lists," he said. "The security forces are not involved in what's happening there."

And to think that they used to fight over which side's Bir Zeit students killed more Israelis. Maybe this 'Palestinian civil war' thing isn't so bad after all.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 6:53 PM