Numerous media reports in Israel testify to the fact that university campuses in Israel silence those who support right-wing opinions on a variety of issues, with the most recent issue being the government’s judicial reform plan.
Complaints have led to university administrators instructing professors to refrain from discussing the judicial reform unless it’s directly related to the topics they teach, such as law or political affairs.
However, when a microbiology professor on the Rechovot campus of Hebrew University began a discussion on judicial reform in class and one courageous student protested, he claimed that yes, judicial reform is relevant to microbiology.
When the professor began speaking about the topic, the student said: “I think that the university rector said that judicial reform should be discussed only in courses related to the issues. This doesn’t include microbiology.”
The professor responded: “I’m sorry but all the talk…
Student: “It’s in an email that the rector sent…
Professor. “I know. I read it well…
Student: “And you’re violating its instructions…
Professor: “It’s relevant to microbiology.”
Student: “It’s not relevant to microbiology.”
Ignoring the student’s claim, the professor continued to prattle on, making his view of his opposition to the reform clear by calling it a “legal coup.”
Professor: “It’s been approved by the administration of all universities. I’m not telling you what to think. There are people here who spoke in favor of what is called the ‘legal coup’ and there are those who spoke against the ‘legal coup.'”
The frustrated student interjected: “I’m not for or against the reform! I came so you can talk about microbiology.”
Another student then interjected, saying: “Do you understand that there are more important things than our classes?!”
Tel Aviv University, which is currently holding Israel Democracy Week to ostensibly discuss judicial reform issues, was called out for silencing those who support the reform by its own rector.
In a letter to the university’s staff, the rector, Prof. Mark Shtaif, stated: “Democracy Week began with an impressive demonstration and you won. If there was anyone in the audience who was honestly or sincerely wavering between their support or opposition to the reform, they wouldn’t have remained there after the second or third speaker…
“We didn’t aim to listen to those who think differently from us, not even to those who are unsure of what they think and want to ask questions. We came to protest, lecture, preach, patronize, and tell everyone how good, enlightened, smart, and loyal we are – while everyone who disagrees is a dark person who supports dictatorship and has no morals.
“If I had any hope that something constructive and useful would come out of this Democracy Week at Tel Aviv University, it was eliminated in one fell swoop,” he concluded.
Prof. Shtaif later told Army Radio: “Some of the faculty members on campus create an atmosphere that is uncomfortable for people who don’t oppose the reform. They feel unwelcome here… there is silencing going on.”
Culture Minister Miki Zohar (Likud) said: “The hypocrisy is endless. Those who have been lecturing us for weeks about democracy are silencing those who dare to think otherwise. Apparently, the battle is not about democracy and freedom but mainly an attempt to silence those who hold other beliefs.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
THE PLAGUE OF WOKENESS HAS INFECTED ISRAELI UNIVERSITIES.
Amalek comes in all colors and sizes and even Wokeness and Nazism or even the Pope who claimed G-d doesn’t love Jews because they do not have their own Land, a pedofile makes a statement, wears a bonnet of white and straps jews to crosses oh yes……what a wonderful world…..thank goodness that Hashem runs it and all of this nonsense is but a shroud for their bodies
The zionist dream, going back to the 19th century, is dying. Almost all higher education was based on having a zionist state, i.e. a secular, European (or now probably more Euro-American) state in which those who were religious or in any way acted Middle Eastern (even to the extent of not pronouncing “ayin” as if it was an “aleph”, or in reality pronouncing either of them as other than “silent”) would be marginalized and shunned.
If the zionist state of Israel is replaced by a Jewish state, almost all professors, and most technology-oriented professionals, will be forced to emigrate. After 120+ years of dreaming of a land where Jews can live, and rule, and rule over others, while also being free from Torah and Mitsvos, and almost seeing that dream become something real and permanent, they are waking up to the possibility of a different reality. So of course they are freaking out. This is there worst possible nightmare.
For the Yidden of Eretz Yisrael this is a “”no win” situation. If they try to establish a Jewish state, the entire economy will collapse because those with the money won’t support a Jewish state, and it is very likely that the increasingly “woke” leaders in Europe and especially America will treat Israel as a terrorist state. Without support of the zionists and the western secular states, the yishuv in Eretz Yisrael will find it impossible to defend themselves against the Muslims who surround them.
What is this different than teaching about BDS in American and European universities?