Iran Condemns Israeli Attack on Yemen’s Hodeidah Port
Iran has condemned an Israeli attack on Yemen’s Hodeidah port, raising tensions in an already volatile region. This development comes amidst a controversial move in Israel to curb academic speech, sparking widespread debate.
Israeli Education Law Sparks Controversy
Israeli education minister and national student union have endorsed a new law aimed at curbing academic speech, The Guardian reported on Sunday. Leading universities have criticized the bill, describing it as “McCarthyite” and undemocratic.
The proposed legislation, now under debate in the Knesset, would empower a government-appointed committee to order the dismissal of academic staff found to have expressed “support for terror.” Universities that refuse to comply could face funding cuts.
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Critics argue that this law undermines academic freedom in Israeli by restricting free speech and allowing politicians to misuse accusations that should be managed by the legal system. Uri Sivan, president of Technion – Israeli Institute of Technology, condemned the law as “a very violent form of McCarthyism” aimed at suppressing free expression.
Despite concerns, two-thirds of the student union’s university chapters have backed the campaign. The student union has invested over $136,000 in a nationwide billboard campaign supporting the law. Haaretz newspaper warned in an editorial that Israel’s “illiberal students need a lesson in democracy.”
Restriction on Criticism
In Israel, criticism of the Gaza war is already heavily restricted, even for Jewish citizens. A teacher charged with treason and held in solitary confinement for four days after voicing concerns about civilian deaths in Gaza described the current atmosphere as “a time of witch-hunts.”
Israel’s Education Minister Yoav Kisch has voiced his support for the law, although it is not a government initiative. His office stated that while academic institutions should have great independence, certain boundaries must not be crossed.
Ofir Katz, a member of the governing Likud party, presented the draft as a private bill, with support from other legislators, including a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rival party, led by Benny Gantz. The bill has passed the first of four Knesset votes.
Sivan expressed concern over the law’s broad restrictions, noting that existing laws against incitement to terror already apply to all residents. “Why is academia singled out (with this law)?” he asked, suggesting the move is intended to intimidate independent thinkers and violates democratic principles.
The Association of University Heads, Israel, known as Vera, criticized the student union billboards in a public letter, calling them a divisive “campaign of persecution and incitement” that could lead to violence. Vera cautioned that the draft law could provoke international sanctions against Israeli universities by undermining their academic independence.
Broader Implications
Outrage has already followed the use of anti-terrorism laws to detain Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, a prominent legal scholar, over her criticism of the Gaza war. Anat Matar from Tel Aviv University’s philosophy department expressed alarm over student involvement in promoting the law, describing it as particularly disturbing.
“Whether or not it passes, significant damage has already been done,” Matar told The Guardian. “The mere fact that it is supported by the national student union and many local student unions, and that there is hardly any protest among students against it, manifests another step down the ladder towards full-blown fascism.”
Opposition leader Yair Lapid warned that the law would erode democracy, arguing that it allows politicians, rather than legal authorities, to determine what constitutes speaking against the state of Israel. “You’re allowing governing politicians to decide what is in favor of Israel and what is against it, what is permissible to say and what is forbidden,” Lapid told the Knesset.