With every passing day Jerusalem is being “cleansed” of Palestinians; in other words, it is undergoing “Judaification” due to the systematic implementations of Zionist colonialism. By conducting an ethnic cleansing which has been rendered innocent through the myths being broadcast worldwide, the Jews who came from all over the world are systematically cleansing the Palestinians who were born and raised on the land. With the exception of withdrawing from Sinai as part of the peace treaty that rendered Egypt inactive, Israel has not yet taken a step backwards on any issue and has not kept to any agreement.

In the face of efforts to change Jerusalem’s demographic structure and status in a systematic manner from which no return is possible, and to render the occupation permanent, Palestinians’ opportunities for changing the situation are limited. Especially after the peace agreement between the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel, steps have been taken to make the occupation of Jerusalem Palestine even more durable. During this period, the “Wall of Shame” dividing Palestine was erected, the number of settlers in the West Bank increased even more, and settlements for the accommodation of thousands of Jews are being built every year. In this context, Jerusalem is being further besieged demographically, militarily and politically, and Jerusalem’s contact with the whole of Palestine is being cut off through physical interventions.

During this process, there are few remaining institutions through which Palestinians can resist. Aside from the religiously and historically significant Al-Aqsa Mosque and the foundation responsible for its administration, the University of Jerusalem serves as an important institution. It is one of the institutions that can represent the Palestinian presence in Jerusalem at the international level, as well as contribute to rescuing Palestinians from the status of pariahs at the hands of Israeli authorities. By being a concrete expression of its strong commitment to and responsibility over the holy city of Jerusalem and its Palestinian people, the University of Jerusalem has meaning beyond just its role as an educational institution. Positioned in what can be considered the heart of the city of Jerusalem, the university in a way serves as the first line of defense in the preservation of the city’s Islamic identity and heritage. Its Faculty of Medicine is among the best in the Arab world. It has 14 faculties, 55 undergraduate programs and 42 master’s programs, as well as approximately 13 thousand students.

In contrast to other universities in Palestine, Israel refuses to officially recognize this university despite all these features. Regardless of the quality of education (or it can be said that because of this quality), Israel does not officially recognize this university since it realizes the meaning it has for Palestine and Jerusalem. At the point it has reached today through its resistance of Israeli sanctions and pressures, the University of Jerusalem faces a serious threat… It in a way serves as a litmus test for the entire Muslim world which embraces the Palestinian issue and takes it up as a cause. How unfortunate that the Muslim world responsive to Al-Aqsa Mosque and Palestine is not responsive to institutions representing Jerusalem which serve as a political and intellectual defensive line!

After many decades of battle, it seems that the University of Jerusalem must now struggle for existence. Although under international law Jerusalem is not directly under the responsibility of the Palestinian Authority, due to the government not (having the ability of) fulfilling its financial commitments, it is a source of adversity that the will and opportunity to support and sustain this institution are not visible.

Despite the promises of international institutions, the abandoned university finds itself in a bottleneck. Accumulated debts and the unpaid faculty and staff salaries over months threaten the strategic future of the institution. The university needs 10 million dollars immediately in order to pay its bank debt and the wages owed to employees. As of this month, it has been 3 months since those employed by the university received their salaries. While Turkey’s pledge to open a girls’ dormitory is welcome, it is far from solving the problem.

When the Palestinian issue has been reduced to the siege of Gaza and Jerusalem has been pushed to secondary importance, this issue truly serves as a litmus test. Rather than legendary heroism, Palestine has need for strategic thinking and durable systematic solutions. A strange sensitivity toward Palestine which ignores Jerusalem is in question.

There is a direct relationship between the presence of Jerusalem and the maintained existence of the university, which was primarily built and supported by aid from a number of initiatives, rather than by systematic assistance established through the commitment of Arab and Muslim countries and the Islamic Conference. Within the context of all the support given to the Palestinian issue, and with so many academicians in the cabinet, will Turkey make a move regarding this issue?

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