Over 1,300 Israeli academics call on universities to oppose Gaza war

More than 1,300 academics from universities and colleges across Israel have signed a letter demanding Israeli academia take a stand against the ongoing war in Gaza. Sent on May 27 to the heads of the academic system, the letter urges institutions to "mobilise the full weight of Israeli academia to stop the Israeli war in Gaza."

Organised under the name Black Flag, the initiative criticises higher education institutions for vocally opposing the government’s judicial overhaul while remaining silent on what the signatories describe as a "horrifying litany of war crimes and even crimes against humanity," Caliber.Az reports via foreign media. 

"We cannot claim that we did not know. We have been silent for too long," the letter states.

The initiative was born from a series of meetings between students and lecturers. Professor Ido Shahar of the University of Haifa told Haaretz that these discussions led to a collective realisation that the situation could no longer be normalised.

"At a certain point, the realisation sinks in that we can't go on normalising the current situation and behaving as if a horrifying war of deception isn't happening – one that leads to mass killing, sacrifices the hostages and whose sole purpose is transfer and settlement," he added.

Among the signatories is Professor On Barak of Tel Aviv University, who explained that the group chose the name Black Flag to resonate with Israeli society. The term, familiar to many due to military service, was originally coined by Judge Benjamin Halevy following the 1956 Kafr Qasim massacre, in which 48 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces. It signals a moral and legal duty to disobey orders deemed flagrantly illegal.

Barak adds that Israeli academia has a vital role to play in the re-humanisation of Gaza's population.

"Historical research shows that the devastating effects of famine endure for generations. The tragedy unfolding before us now will leave its mark for years to come, even if it were to end today,” he added. 

Professor Yael Hashiloni-Dolev of Ben-Gurion University drew a direct connection between Israel’s actions in Gaza and the continued suffering of hostages held by Hamas.

"One can't deny that the violence directed outward – toward the population of Gaza, the vast majority of whom are uninvolved civilians – also turns inward, toward the hostages and their families," she said.

"Anyone who kills mothers and starves babies in Gaza is also harming the mothers of the hostages….That's why there's only one solution: end the killing in Gaza and release the hostages. This war knowingly and deliberately puts the hostages at risk, and anyone who refuses to acknowledge that is simply denying reality," she added.

The letter culminated in a day of protest dubbed Black Tuesday on May 27,  with silent demonstrations at universities across the country. Students and faculty dressed in black, hung black flags on bulletin boards, and held poetry readings and discussions on campus grounds.

At Tel Aviv University, tensions rose when the campus security chief attempted to shut down the protest, claiming it violated university regulations. Witnesses reported that the security official tried to remove signs and black flags, shoved a protester filming the event, and pushed a female student who confronted him.

Organisers described Black Tuesday as "the first action against the ongoing denial and silent support for crimes being committed in our name."

"I hope all of us will stop cooperating, because as long as we normalise the situation and go on with our lives, the war won't end, and the sadism toward Gaza's population and the hostages will continue," Hashiloni-Dolev said. "A black flag flies over these crimes. I call on people to refuse such illegal orders."

By Sabina Mammadli