Israel resists recognizing degrees from Al-Quds University in Jerusalem

The Al-Quds University has campuses in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and in Abu Dis, shown here, just outside of Jerusalem. (photo: Majdi Mohammed / AP)

Although medical degrees from Al-Quds receive recognition, degrees in social work and education continue to be denied.

By Nir Hasson | Haaretz | Jun 3, 2018


“In an effort to bring about the closure of the Jerusalem campus, a political directive was given not to recognize degrees granted by the main campus in Abu Dis. As a result, most Al-Quds graduates who are Israeli residents are denied the possibility of working in Israel.”
— Al-Quds University attorney Shlomo Lecker


The Social Affairs Ministry is dragging its feet on recognizing hundreds of Palestinian social workers who graduated from Al-Quds University, in order to officially avoid recognizing the university.

The Jerusalem municipality says the city has a shortage of Arabic-speaking social workers and the Al-Quds graduates could help fill the gap. But the Social Affairs Ministry denies that any shortage exists.

For years, state agencies, led by the Prime Minister’s Office, have tried to push Al-Quds out of Jerusalem. Most of the university’s facilities are actually in Abu Dis, which lies just outside Jerusalem’s municipal borders in the West Bank. But the university still maintains some facilities inside Jerusalem.

Unlike Israeli universities, Al-Quds does not fall under the auspices of Israel’s Council for Higher Education, and it operates as a foreign university. But it cannot receive Israeli recognition as a foreign university the way universities in the West Bank do, because of its location in Jerusalem, which Israel considers its capital and its sovereign territory.

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Cambridge bans study abroad students from going to Palestine

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The bridge connecting the West Bank with Israel. (photo: Chadica / Wikimedia Commons)

The University of Cambridge has taken Palestine off its list of acceptable places of study due to visa difficulties in Israel.

By Patrick Wernham / University of Cambridge Varsity / Oct 22, 2017


“Whilst we do not ban independent travel to, or study in, the Palestinian territories, students cannot choose to spend their Year Abroad in the West Bank for the time being due to recent difficulties faced by students in securing visa renewals from the Israeli authorities.”


The University of Cambridge has banned its students from studying in the Palestinian territories on their year abroad.

In a statement, the University said that the decision was made “due to recent difficulties faced by students in securing visa renewals from the Israeli authorities.”

It is the first time that a destination of study has been marked unacceptable since 2011, when Syria was removed as a result of the civil war.

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