Heated Debate at Education Committee Emergency Session on Pro-BDS Israeli Academics

Ben Ari said another meeting would be held with Education Minister Naftali Bennett, who also serves as chairman of the Council for Higher Education.

Dr. Yael Barda of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem called out to the MKs: "No one here has ownership over patriotism, so you need to hear us as well. Im Tirtzu distort and incite." In response, a university student said, "It is hard being a rightwing student in the academia. We are silenced."

Im Tirzu said in a statement: "The mobilization of MKs from both sides of the political aisle to fight against the boycott movement being promoted by Israeli academics indicates an important change in the way decision makers view the phenomenon of delegitimizing Israel. It is no coincidence that the BDS movement uses Israelis in order to bolster its activities, and given this, the effort to stop this phenomenon must start from within Israel. As noted in the report published by Im Tirtzu, the vast majority of these academics who endorsed the boycott are also activists in foreign agent organizations that use foreign governmental funding to defame and slander the IDF and the State of Israel from within. This phenomenon transcends party politics and threatens to mortally wound Israeli academia.”