VIDEO: Bar Ilan University Election Panel Turns Ugly

[VIDEOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]

Bar Ilan University on Sunday night, the eve of 18 Teves 5773 hosted a panel discussion surrounding the upcoming general elections. Addressing the audience were MK (Otzma Yisrael) Prof. Aryeh Eldad and MK (Ra’am – Ta’al) Dr. Ahmed Tibi.

The participants were asked questions, and Dr. Tibi was asked to give his opinion on Israel’s assassination of Ahmed Jabari, the Hamas chief of staff eliminated at the start of Operation Pillar of Defense.

A well polished orator and veteran politician; Tibi ignored the question and began ranting on about the late Rabbi Meir Kahane HY”D, labeling him a “terrorist”. Tibi was then asked if he sees a difference between Kahane and those who feel firing at civilian targets is legitimate. “I never wanted to target people. This was never my intention” he responded.

Tibi praised the shaheedim, the martyrs, sparking shouts from members of the audience. “What do you think; you are doing me a favor by permitting me to speak here?”

Some members of the audience shouted at Tibi “Your hands are dripping with blood”, to which an angered Dr. Tibi, who is an OB/GYN by profession responded “If my hands are full of blood, it is the blood of the infants I brought into the world. I am proud that I brought life into the world while some of you are proud you killed Arab children. I detest a hashkafa that justifies killing children simply because they are Arab.”

This led to additional shouts from the audience including “baby killer – go back to Gaza!” The situation deteriorated rapidly, highlighted by a 17-year-old non-student who spat in Tibi’s face. Dr. Tibi was escorted out of the hall under heavy security.

Tibi told the daily Yisrael Hayom newspaper “I won’t be afraid and I will appear in any place to get my message out even if there are Kahanists and racists there. I will continue to voice my opinion and the opinion of the Arab community despite efforts to silence me.”

Bar Ilan University officials denounced the spitting incident and the offensive language and statements directed against Tibi. The bodyguards provided for Tibi and Eldad managed to apprehend the young lady who spat at Tibi and she was turned over to police.

Click HERE to watch video #1 on a mobile device.