Nasser Balawi

Nasser’s letter

To Whom it may concern :

The object of this letter is to explain my current situation and describe the Palestinian political reality today.

I’m from the Gaza strip. Palestinians from the Gaza strip have been isolated by being refused access to the west bank by Israeli authorities. The « easing » of the isolation has had little effect since it only applies to « exceptional humanitarian cases » such as terminally ill patients in certain circumstances but not to Gazan students seeking access to education in west bank universities. Since 2000 Israel has maintained a blanket ban, forbidding all students from Gaza from pursuing an education in the west bank. This ban affects people like myself, whom Israel acknowledges pose no security risk. This ban denies thousands of Gazans the opportunity to pursue programs that are not available in Gaza, such as dentistry, veterinary medicine, occupational therapy, medical engineering and advanced environmental studies.

We are denied our freedom of movement and our right to education, all within our own land. Traveling to attend my studies on human rights will not threaten Israel’s security, and robbing Palestinians of their rights to education and development will not bring peace. Palestinians like me want to build an educated, human rights-conscious , civil society in the Gaza strip. We want to counter the ongoing escalation of human rights violations by Israel but also by forces within our society. If Israel would only let us.

I left the Gaza strip in 2000 to continue my studies at An-Najah National University. Upon finishing my M.A in political sciences I obtained a teaching position in the department of political sciences at An-Najah University. With the outbreak of the Palestinian Uprising in the fall of 2000 it became impossible for me to leave the city of Nablus. As a result I am unable to visit my family in Gaza due to checkpoints, blockades and the Israeli separation policy. I am unable to attend workshops or lectures outside of Nablus. If I encounter an Israeli soldier or police officer I will be deported by force to the Gaza strip. I have so far spent eleven years within the limits of the city of Nablus.

As a student of political sciences, a strong believer in human rights, recognizing the need to root the spirit of democracy in my country and in the region I have inconvenienced both the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah and the de-facto government by writing critical articles regarding corruption and human rights violations in the west bank and Gaza. As a political scientist and human rights activist I believe that I should remain independent from party affiliations in order to maintain my freedom of opinion and ideas. As a result the Palestinian Authority has refused to respond to my many requests to assist me in changing my status to register me as a west bank resident. I cannot return to Gaza as I have reported on human rights violations including torture and extrajudicial assassinations and I fear my life would be in danger.

I have received direct threats from both ruling parties, in the west bank and Gaza, because of my reporting of human rights violations and corruption. This reporting includes posting confidential documents and incriminating videos on the internet, presenting this evidence in seminars and lectures. I am also threatened for my independent opinions and my affiliation to human rights organizations such as Ajjyal, who calls for establishing the spirit of freedom and democratic principles.

I therefore live with the very real fear that deportation to Gaza by the Israelis could lead to my death at the hands of militants close to Hamas. Their recent threats are especially serious since I do not come from a large family nor am I a member of any party. Families and parties are able to provide protection for their members. I am covered by no such structure.

To conclude, I am oppressed by three separate parties : first Israel denies me the possibility of traveling within the west bank or abroad, simply because I am from Gaza. This is a violation of the Oslo accords which consider the west bank and Gaza a single geographic unit. Second the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah ignores my requests and my suffering because of my criticism of corruption. This is a violation of Palestinian law. Finally the Hamas authority in Gaza which threatens to kill me because of my criticism and reporting of human rights violations in Gaza through articles and videos. This is a clear violation of the human right to life and personal safety.

I have tried to look for a way out of my situation. Friends, academics and journalists have advised me to leave Palestine for my own safety.

I am writing to ask for help in acquiring a letter of invitation to visit your country and attend human rights conferences and to describe the condition in Palestine and to present myself as a living case of the current conditions where I am at the moment.

I cannot travel to any Arab country because the governments of these countries do not usually welcome human rights activists and criticism of violations.

I consulted with a lawyer and was told the Israeli authorities would allow me to leave the west bank if I were to obtain a visa to a country outside Palestine. This is a very difficult decision for me to take, leaving my country, my friends, my work but I am left with no alternative. My life is in real danger.

Upon arriving to your country I can change my status and make my stay legal. I have many documents that can back my claims, such as :

1- A statement saying I left Gaza for the west bank in 2000

2- Reports by Human Rights organizations attesting to my presence in the west bank for all this time as well as my inability to to leave the city I have lived in for eleven consecutive years, as well as the threats that have been sent to me regarding my human rights activities.

3-Certificate of good conduct and absence of a criminal record

4-Certificate stating that I am employed as a professor in the department of political sciences at An-Najah

5-Responses from the Palestinian Authority regarding my requests, showing a bias in contradiction with the positive responses given to colleagues in the same situation.

6-Copies of complaints I have submitted to human rights institutions in Palestine.

7-Press reports mentioning the suffering of Gazans living in the west bank. These reports state that the Palestinian Authority has coordinated with the Israelis in order to find a solution to their problem, leaving only a few cases unsolved, of which I am one. As punishment for my criticism they ignore my requests and ban me from government positions.

Nasser Balawi

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