Berlanty is originally from Gaza, but she has been living in the West Bank since 2005 after she received a travel permit from the military to cross from Gaza to the West Bank.
Berlanty is a 4th year student, seeking to complete her bachelors degree – but today she was arrested by the Israeli military at a checkpoint while traveling from one part of the West Bank to another part of the West Bank. The Israeli military has banned Palestinian residents of Gaza from studying at Palestinian universities in the West Bank.
Bendata e ammanettata, Berlanty è stata riportata a casa, ad appena due mesi dal conseguimento della sua laurea. Ricorso alla Corte suprema israeliana e tam tam mediatico: il caso Berlanty diventa un caso internazionale. Il Washington Post si chiede
whether such a strict enforcement of the rules is reasonable at a time when Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu says he is trying to ease restrictions on Palestinians and encourage economic development as a way to progress toward peace.
E poi ancora
Azzam acknowledges she did not have the required Israeli permission to study in the West Bank — something that has been increasingly difficult for Gazans to obtain, particularly since the 2007 takeover of the area by the Islamist Hamas movement. She traveled from the Gaza Strip in 2005 on a four-day pass, enrolled in college and never returned.
But she has no security or other charges against her, Israeli authorities acknowledge, and according to university officials and others has been assiduous in her studies.
“This is a young woman who is trying to get her bachelor’s degree in business from a Vatican-sponsored university. It’d be an economic advantage and serve Israel, too. So what is the deal?” said Brother Jack Carroll, vice president for development at Bethlehem University. “There are no charges against her. They don’t have any accusations against her. Her ID said Gaza.”
Betlemme è l’unica università cristiana nei Territori Palestinesi. E’ sponsorizzata dal Vaticano, e il caso Berlanty arriva alla vigilia della riunione ad alto livello tra Vaticano e Israele sulle questioni ancora irrisolte (soprattutto le questioni fiscali). E in una fase nella quale il Vaticano ha fatto sentire tutta le sue critiche per la politica di restrizione dei visti di carattere religioso.