Israel’s Council for Higher Education has adopted a new ethical code which includes prohibiting lecturers from taking part in academic boycotts and prohibiting discrimination against lecturers and students alike. It also prohibits a lecturer from expressing a political opinion in the classroom if the opinion is not fef
Heads of the nation’s university objected but the council adopted the new code nonetheless.
Acting at the behest of Education Minister Naftali Bennet, the code was written by Professor Aa Kasher. The heads of universities and lecturers are speaking out against the code, which many insist is nothing more than an effort to silence the voice of Israel’s left-wing. Bennet insists this is not so, citing the code treats all involve fairly and this is not targeting any sector.
The Im Tirtzu organization responded with the following statement: This is a breath of fresh air for Israeli academia,” said Im Tirtzu CEO Matan Peleg whose organization was a driving force behind the code.
“The code is a correct and necessary measure toward ending politicization in academia and ensuring that students receive an unbiased and pluralistic education.”
“However, there is still a lot of work ahead of us,” added Peleg. “What we have witnessed over the past year – calls for intifada on campus, comparisons of Israel to Nazi Germany in the classroom, and professors promoting the boycott of Ariel University – show that the true test of the code still lies ahead and that it needs to be implemented in full force.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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Besides for silencing the left-wing which in itself is an egregious attack on freedom of speech, this code can also stop frum schools from trying to be mechanech our children to follow a Torah lifestyle and reject serving in the IDF. Something must be done about this.