Universities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip are to receive $200,000
each from Saudi Arabia as part of a plan to prevent them from going
bankrupt, according to Palestinian Authority sources.
The sources said that the Saudis, who are also
paying thousands of dollars to Palestinian victims of the current
conflict, including families of suicide bombers, have decided to increase
their financial aid to the Palestinians.
The Saudi initiative is apparently linked to the wish of the rulers of
the kingdom to muster support among the Arab masses ahead of any eventual
US military strike against Iraq. The Saudis are being criticized for
adopting a pro-Western policy and allowing US troops to operate in the
kingdom.
PA Education Minister Naim Abu al-Humus yesterday confirmed that the
universities were to receive the money from Saudi Arabia. The financial
assistance is being funneled through a body that calls itself "The Saudi
Committee for Supporting the Aksa Intifada," he said. The Saudis have also
agreed to pay the university fees for thousands of Palestinian students
who were affected by the ongoing violence, he added.
Dr. Muhammad Shabir, president of the Islamic University in Gaza, said
the Saudi decision is likely to save many universities from closing down.
He blamed Israeli closures and other military measures for the financial
crisis that has hit the academic institutions in the West Bank and Gaza
Strip.
Humus said more than 11,000 university students are expected to benefit
from the Saudi financial aid. He said Saudi Arabia's interior minister,
Prince Nayef bin Abdel Aziz, has taken it upon himself to cover the
tuition fees of thousands of university students who are unable to pay the
costs because of the deteriorating economy.
Humus lauded the Saudi role in backing the Palestinian people and their
cause, pointing out that educational institutions in the West Bank and
Gaza Strip have been facing difficulties and obstacles since the outbreak
of the current conflict. He said more than 85,000 students are currently
enrolled in PA universities and colleges.
Workers at many PA universities have reportedly threatened to go on
strike if their salaries for the past few months are not paid immediately.
One of the universities facing a serious financial crisis is Al-Kuds
University, which has branches in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Gaza
Strip.
The PA announced yesterday it will exempt more than 10,000
school children of unemployed laborers from the Hebron area from paying
school fees. According to the PA, more than 35,000 workers from Hebron and
the surrounding villages are registered as unemployed.
PA officials told the Post that the Saudi committee has also decided to
support needy families in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The committee
recently approached the PA Ministry of Labor and asked for a list of 3,000
families that need urgent help.
Almost all the families are those of Palestinian laborers who lost
their jobs in Israel. The officials said each family would receive a
monthly payment of $150 for a period of one year.
PA Labor Minister Ghassan Khatib said his staff was now preparing the
list of the families, who will be divided equally between residents of the
West Bank and Gaza Strip.
