Hibapress
A reception was organized on Saturday in Rabat in honor of eight Palestinian students from the King Hassan II Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences in Gaza, among the eleven students from Gaza admitted to continue their studies as visiting students at the Hassan II Institute of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences (IAV), in the fields of veterinary medicine and animal production.
During this ceremony, registration certificates were given to Gazan students, in the presence of a delegation from the Palestinian National People’s Congress, led by its secretary general Bilal Al-Natsheh, the director and executives of the institute, as well as as ambassadors from Arab countries accredited to Morocco as well as the director and executives of the Bayt Mal Al Quds Al-Sharif agency, in addition to the students of the Institute who gave a warm welcome to their Palestinian colleagues.
In a speech delivered for the occasion, the Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests, Ahmed El Bouari, underlined the importance of cooperation between Moroccan educational establishments and Palestinians.
“This initiative reflects the strong ties between Morocco and Palestine,” he noted, recalling that His Majesty King Mohammed VI chairs the Al-Quds Committee, which embodies the constant commitment and active solidarity of the Kingdom with Palestine.
In this speech read on his behalf by Bilal El Hajjouji, director of agricultural education, training and research at the ministry, Mr. El Bouari stressed that the determination of Palestinian students to continue their studies despite the difficult conditions in their country “constitutes a great source of inspiration, to which the Kingdom responds by increasing the number of scholarships, thus testifying to the deep solidarity of Morocco towards the Palestinian people”.
For his part, Abdelaziz Elhraïki, director of the Hassan II Institute of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine in Rabat, specified that this initiative is part of the partnership signed between the institute, the Bayt Mal Al Quds Agency and Al-Azhar University in Gaza, aiming to strengthen academic exchanges between Moroccan and Palestinian institutions.
He assured that the Institute mobilizes all necessary means for Palestinian students to complete their training in veterinary medicine and animal production, in the same way as Moroccan students, “as a sign of the constant solidarity of Morocco, under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, President of the Al-Quds Committee, with the Palestinian people and their unwavering support for their just causes.”
Palestinian students, for their part, expressed their deep gratitude to the Kingdom of Morocco for the opportunity offered to complete their studies in the country.
Mohieddine Shehadeh, a veterinary student, said his reinstatement, along with that of his classmates accepted into the institute after a year-long hiatus due to the war in Gaza, “is a generous gesture that has rekindled our hope and optimism to continue our academic journey.
Likewise, Batoul Mohammed Issa Ali, student of veterinary medicine at Al-Azhar University, expressed his thanks to the Kingdom of Morocco, IAV Hassan II and the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Acharif Agency for this initiative which allowed him to resume his studies in Morocco, interrupted in Gaza because of the war and difficult conditions.
The ceremony was marked by the renewal of the cooperation agreement between the National People’s Congress of Al-Quds and the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Acharif Agency, relating to culture, publishing and awareness-raising activities aimed at strengthen national identity and the Palestinian narrative.
This agreement, signed by Mr. Al-Natsheh, Secretary General of the Congress, and Mohamed Salem Cherkaoui, director in charge of management of the Agency, provides for the annual financing of 200 scholarships for Palestinian students from Al Quds registered at the Al Quds Open University and Al Quds Modern College.
On this occasion, Mr. Al-Natsheh welcomed the Moroccan initiative which comes in addition to other actions in support of Al Quds and the Palestinian cause in various areas.
He also affirmed that the Congress “will continue to work in close coordination with the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Acharif Agency, executive arm of the Al-Quds Committee, chaired by HM King Mohammed VI, to defend the holy sites of Islam in Al Quds Acharif, in all international and regional forums.
He insisted on continued cooperation with all segments of Moroccan society to raise awareness of the dangers facing the city of Al Quds and its civilizational identity.
Shortly before the ceremony, the guests visited a photo exhibition highlighting the Agency’s efforts in the education sector in Al-Quds, as well as the educational initiatives and projects supported by the Kingdom of Morocco and the programs of scholarships dedicated to Palestinian students.
