Hebrew U students, staff defend lecturer caught scolding student in IDF uniform

A Hebrew University lecturer, whose argument with a student who came to class in military uniform was captured on camera last week, has been subjected to multiple threats and has stopped teaching due to concerns for her safety, the Haaretz daily reported Tuesday.

Students and university officials have defended the teacher, saying footage of her speaking in aggressive tones to the student was taken out of context and did not paint the full picture of the incident.

Literature professor Dr. Carola Hilfrich made headlines last week after audio and video of her supposedly reprimanding the female student for coming to class in military garb made the rounds in Israeli media, earning her scorn and threats.

Initial reports had indicated that an Arab student harassed the soldier during class and when she later discussed the matter with Hilfrich outside, the professor assailed her for arriving in uniform.

“You are a soldier in Israel’s military and you will be treated accordingly,” Hilfrich can be heard telling the soldier in a raised voice in the corridor in footage captured by a fellow student.

The soldier can be heard responding by saying: “I serve and defend the country. Does it disturb anyone that I sit in class in my uniform?”

“There are people for whom civil society is as important as the army is to you, and you must be tolerant toward their priorities like they accept and confront your priorities,” Hilfrich responded.

Watch the (Hebrew) video:

The lecturer, apparently in a hurry to get somewhere, then told the student to send her a written letter, saying she had “listened enough” and that “you aren’t even respecting my time.”

The incident caused outrage, with students organizing protests on Wednesday and the National Union of Israeli Students saying that “it is shameful to see students humiliated simply for wearing a uniform. We never imagined that the very wearing of an army uniform would be a problem to any of the lecturers.

The right-wing Im Tirtzu student organization called the incident “a new low in Israeli academia” and urged Education Minister Naftali Bennett to have Hilfrich fired.

But students and faculty have since defended Hilfrich and said initial media reports were inaccurate and painted a misleading picture.

Several students told Haaretz that no confrontation had occurred during class and that no political argument had arisen. They also said the student had come to class in uniform many times in the past, and Hilfrich had never said a word to her on the matter.

After the class, the soldier apparently had a brief unpleasant exchange with an Arab student over her uniform, and complained about it to Hilfrich. This led to several minutes of conversation, the end of which was publicized in the recording.

Dr. Nicole Hochner, head of the Program in Cultural Studies, later interviewed those involved, as well as several witnesses, to understand what had transpired. In a subsequent letter to students and staff, Hochner said the conversation between the soldier and Hilfrich had been much longer than the final minutes leaked to the press. The soldier had told Hilfrich she sometimes felt unsafe on campus due to her uniform, to which Hilfrich responded by urging her to seek help if that was the case.

Hilfrich, Hochner said, eventually became impatient as she was late for another class. Hochner added that while those who do not know the professor could have understood her tone as aggressive, students were “familiar with her characteristic excitable nature.”

Hochner also told Hadashot TV news she had spoken to the soldier, and the student had expressed regret for the incident’s publication and for the vitriolic attacks on Hilfrich.

Hochner accused Im Tirtzu and other groups of using the incident for their political purposes, and in order to paint university faculty as “leftist lecturers who scream at students in uniform.”

Dr. Gur Zak, chair of the Department of Comparative Literature, told Haaretz: “Following the inaccurate and irresponsible reports that appeared in the media, Carola has faced a wild and violent incitement campaign that must stop.”

Michael Bachner contributed to this report.