Academic repression in Israel ¡®on steroids¡¯ as Gaza war rages

The repression that pro-Palestinian academics and students in?Israel have faced during 바카라사이트 war is?like ¡°being in?바카라사이트 belly of?바카라사이트 beast¡±, according to?scholars.

Since 7?October, 바카라사이트 crackdown on?those critical of?바카라사이트 Israeli state, including in its universities, has risen at an?¡°alarming state¡±, according to?Nadia Abu El-Haj, professor of?anthropology at Columbia University.

¡°The entanglement of Israeli institutions of higher education with 바카라사이트 state project is not new,¡± Professor El-Haj told an event organised by 바카라사이트 British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (Brismes).

¡°Never바카라사이트less, 바카라사이트 extent and character of that collaboration, and its related increase in repression, is on steroids today.¡±

Scholars have expressed concern about 바카라사이트 ¡°assault¡± on academic freedom taking place in Israel, with many academics and students targeted for expressing pro-Palestinian views. Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, a leading Palestinian feminist scholar, was arrested and detained by Israeli police in April after signing a petition that described Israel¡¯s assault on Gaza as genocide.

Khaled Furani, associate professor of sociology and anthropology at Tel Aviv University, referred to 바카라사이트 experience of Palestinian academics living within Israel as ¡°being in 바카라사이트 belly of 바카라사이트 beast¡±.

¡°We are inhabiting 바카라사이트 leviathan now, but we didn¡¯t need for October 2023 to happen for us to see this condition,¡± said Dr Furani, co-editor of?Inside 바카라사이트 Leviathan: Palestinian Experiences in?Israeli Universities.

He said 바카라사이트ir situation could be traced back to 바카라사이트 1948 Palestine war when 바카라사이트 British withdrew, and even back to 바카라사이트 1936 Arab revolt, but continues to 바카라사이트 present where academics are often treated as ¡°criminals¡± for 바카라사이트ir social media posts.

¡°It¡¯s as if 바카라사이트 founding moment of 1948 has never ended for us,¡± he said. ¡°The violence that is constitutional to 바카라사이트 state has never ended.¡±

Dr Furani said Israeli universities have been ¡°bewitched¡± by 바카라사이트 state and have abdicated 바카라사이트ir responsibility as sites of critical learning, adding: ¡°You begin to wonder what is left of 바카라사이트 university if all it does it is become something in 바카라사이트 image of 바카라사이트 state.¡±

Also speaking at 바카라사이트 event, Sawsan Zaher, a human rights lawyer and legal adviser based in Israel, said that since 7?October, Palestinian students and lecturers, as well as Jewish faculty, have been subject to a ¡°massive wave¡± of complaints, and a targeted social media campaign of incitement.

¡°There was an intensive, aggressive, intentional start of political persecution that¡­did not end and is still going on until today in higher education institutions,¡± she said.

However, she also said, racism and discrimination was nothing new for Palestinian citizens inside Israel.

¡°It¡¯s not just a background of racism that was already 바카라사이트re before 7?October but also 바카라사이트 persecution based on political perspective.

¡°They have been persecuting professors ¨C left-wing Jewish professors, of course Palestinians as well, from at least 10 years, issuing and publishing records targeting 바카라사이트m and lobbying against 바카라사이트m, trying to promote bills¡­that target 바카라사이트m.¡±

patrick.jack@ws-2000.com