In a letter issued by the board of heads of universities in Israel, he called on the leaders of universities abroad to protect Israeli and Jewish researchers, and to act against calls for the destruction of Israel
The fervor of the demonstrations against Israel on campuses in the US also disturbs their colleagues in Israel. As we know, the prestigious universities are full of anti-Israeli demonstrations following the war in Gaza. They accuse Israel of alleged genocide against the citizens of Gaza, but ignore the fact that the invasion of Gaza was in response to the invasion of Israel by Hamas's Nachba soldiers on October 7, 2023, during the destruction, massacre of approximately 1,200 Israelis, looting and mass rape. Among the signs are also those justifying this massacre.
As a result, Israeli and Jewish students and lecturers faced threats to their lives, and the universities' inability to protect them. The heads of Israeli universities expressed concern about the situation and wrote to their colleagues at the prestigious universities:
"We, the heads of the research universities in Israel, hereby express our deep concern in the face of the manifestations of severe violence, anti-Semitism and anti-Israelism that wash over the campuses of many of the leading universities in the USA, with the support of Palestinian organizations, including terrorist organizations. We take very seriously the situation in which Israeli and Jewish students and faculty are afraid to come to campuses or to identify themselves as Jews lest they be physically harmed."
"We have no doubt that the heads of these universities are working to combat these revelations, and that their dealing with groups of incited and hate-fueled rioters is complex, difficult and, in extreme cases, requires tools that go beyond the toolbox provided by the university administration. "
"Freedom of expression and freedom of demonstration are the lifeblood of democracy in general, and of academic life in particular, and we continue to recognize their importance even and especially in these difficult days. However, the freedom of expression and demonstration does not permit violent actions or threats to communities and does not include the freedom of expression and the call for the destruction of the State of Israel. "
"We are supporting the hands of the Jewish and Israeli students and faculty members at this difficult time. We will help Jewish and Israeli scientists and students who are interested in this, to be admitted to universities in Israel, and to find a personal and academic home here."
- Prof. Aryeh Tsavan, President of Bar-Ilan University, Chairman of the RA
- Prof. Ehud Grossman, president of Ariel University in Samaria
- Prof. Daniel Haimowitz, president of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
- Prof. Alon Chen, president of the Weizmann Institute of Science
- Prof. Asher Cohen, president of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem
- Prof. Uri Sion, president of the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology
- Prof. Ariel Porat, president of Tel Aviv University
- Prof. Leo Cory, president of the Open University
- Prof. Ron Rubin, president of Haifa University
