“I was asked to spy if I wanted to study”
8 September 2010
WHO - Ahmed* is a medical student. He cannot continue his training at an East Jerusalem hospital because his permit was confiscated. He recounts how the Israeli secret service asked him to work for them if he wanted his permit back.
"As part of my studies at Al Quds medical school in Abu Dis, for the last two years I've been doing on-the-job training at an East Jerusalem hospital. Being a Palestinian from the West Bank, I need a permit from the Israeli authorities to enter Jerusalem. I've never had any problems getting one before. This spring, however, a soldier at the checkpoint confiscated my permit. I was told that I had to see the Israeli secret service, Shin Bet, if I wanted to get it back.
When I finally got an appointment a few weeks later, the Shin Bet officer told me: "If you help us, we will help you." They asked me to inform them about my fellow students' activities, in particular any travel abroad. In other words, I was asked to spy if I wanted to study. I refused and, as a result, I didn't get my permit back.
Although I can do my training in Hebron, for example, there are huge repercussions on the quality of my studies. The East Jerusalem hospital where I've been training has half a dozen professors specialized in my field. In Hebron, there is only one. There is also much less interaction between students in the West Bank because there are far fewer students per hospital.
When I finish my undergraduate studies at Al Quds medical school in a bit over a year, I want to go to the United States for my specialization. My diploma is recognized in the US, UK, the Arab world and many other countries. Israel, however, refuses to recognize it."
*Ahmed's name has been changed and some of the details of his story omitted in order to protect his identity.
