Israel Matzav

Post-Zionist Leftists give Nazi salute at Hebrew U.

The student council elections at Hebrew University have deteriorated to the point where a group of post-Zionist Leftists gave the Nazi salute in response to a moderate candidate's campaign rally.

Student council electioneering on the campus of Hebrew University in Jerusalem deteriorated into Nazi salutes by far-left and Communist students, according to one of the leaders of a Zionist youth movement. University President Menachem Megidor was called upon to take action against those students who used the raised-arm salutes.

In a letter to Professor Megidor, Amit Barak, vice-chairman of Im Tirtzu, wrote that campus representatives of the campus branch of his movement toured the campus on election day singing songs such as "Am Yisrael Chai" and "Jerusalem of Gold", and waving Israeli flags. "In two separate incidents during this circuit," Barak continued, "activists from the Campus for Us All faction (made up Meretz, Hadash and others) stood before the Im Tirtzu activists and reacted with the raised-arm salute, before the eyes of the entire public."

The members of Im Tirtzu, self-defined as "a moderate centrist extra-parliamentary movement" for "on-campus Zionist advocacy", expressed shock at the offensive behavior, as did other student witnesses to the encounters.

There are a few things that are worth pointing out here. First, unlike the incident in 2007 in which several Russian immigrants were arrested for neo-Nazi activities, at least some of these students are considered 'salt of the earth' intellectuals. Meretz is a 'mainstream' Israeli political party, albeit at the Left edge of the 'mainstream' spectrum (Hadash, a joint Arab-Jewish party is generally considered beyond the pale and you can only imagine what comes after that). So far, at least, there is no indication that any of Meretz's three MK's have condemned the incident.

There's also no indication that any of these students will be expelled from Hebrew University, which like all of Israel's state universities provides a highly taxpayer subsidized (tuition around $5,000 per year) first-rate university education. These people have no problem biting the hand that feeds them.

Third, if the past is any indication, many if not most of these 'saluters' will join Israel's intellectual and media elites and will spread their venom against the State of Israel as supposed representatives of the 'best Israel has to offer' in all kinds of world forums.

And you wonder why we look so bad in the eyes of the world?

What should be done? The university should hold immediate hearings and expel every student who is found to have given the Nazi salute. This isn't a question of 'free expression.' Some things are simply beyond the pale.

Finally, it is worth noting that Arutz Sheva (Israel National News) is the only semi-mainstream media website in Israel that thought this was newsworthy. As of now, at least, you won't find it at JPost, Haaretz or YNet's English-language websites.

UPDATE 11:30 AM

JPost is covering this story here and has lots more details.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:27 AM