On Feb. 7, 2017, the PPU received the member of Knesset: Ayman Odeh, who heads up the Joint Arab List and is one of the most prominent leaders for the political and national affairs of the Arabs in the 1948 occupied territories. He was welcomed by the President of the University Prof. Dr. Imad Khatib, his deputies and assistants, deans of colleges and a number of the university students from the 1948 occupied territories.
The visit has come within the efforts of the university to strengthen the relationship with the Palestinians in the 1948 occupied territories, confirm the depth of contact and common ties among the Palestinians all over the world and enhance the Palestinian identity despite all the obstacles they face.
At the beginning of the meeting, the President of the University welcomed the MK Ayman Odeh and his escorts and he highly valued his visit to the University which emphasizes the continuous communication among the Palestinians as one people. He added that it is a great opportunity to have an idea about the progress in the Palestinian institutions in general, and higher education institutions in particular. In this context, the president pointed out that the University has worked hard to facilitate the proceedings of the enrollment of the 1948 Palestinians students in the multiple programs offered at PPU, taking into account their circumstances.
For his part, Odeh praised the steadfastness of the Palestinian people and their persistence to develop at various levels, particularly education despite their suffering and the scarcity of resources. He pointed out that his visit will not be the last and that he will work on developing such cooperation, especially with regard to higher education.
During the meeting, the Director of the President Office gave a brief history of the university, its specialties and its developmental strategy towards an entrepreneurial University, showing some statistics that indicated the extent of the development and progress as an applied and specialized university serving the community and its developmental institutions.
After that, the MK Ayman Odeh, was escorted on a tour around the University. He met with some students and then visited the university advanced and developed laboratories. After that he went to Bilal Amr Theatre to give a lecture entitled: "The Palestinians inside the Green Line and the Palestinian Identity," and there he was received by Mr. Munib Masri and a large number of representatives of local and national institutions, university staff and students.
In the beginning, Dr. Shehada Rajabi, who is specialized in the Palestinian history, introduced Odeh to the audience and briefed his biography. Then Mr. Odeh started his lecture by talking about the historical periods that have passed on the Palestinian people, and the obstacles and the ethnic cleansing both the Palestinians inside 1948 occupied territories and the West Bank and the Gaza Strip have been facing to retain their identity and their rights. He also added that the racism and oppression practiced on the Arabs in 1948 areas have not weakened or affected in any way their insistence and determination to achieve their goals in survival and self-assertion to keep their roots that stretch for thousands of years. He confirmed that returning to unity among the Palestinian people is the only way to get their freedom back and achieve all their hopes.
At the end of the lecture, Mr. Odeh answered the set of questions raised by the audience. Then he expressed his pleasure for having such meeting, and he praised the PPU’s energy, development and prosperity. The President at the end thanked Mr. Odeh for his presence and his lecture, expressing his pride in this Palestinian figure who is cherished by all.
Public Relations Department
