From the Liveblog of
Sunday, March 9, 2025
Education minister slams ‘confused’ university chiefs for threats to strike if AG fired
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleSam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
Education Minister Yoav Kisch derides the heads of Israel’s major universities as “confused” after they threaten to go on strike if the government fires Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara.
The government “will not be deterred” by such threats, Kisch writes in a response to the threat, arguing that Baharav-Miara “is not above public criticism and is not immune from impeachment proceedings when she acts in a way that goes beyond her professional role and turns her into the opposition to the elected government.”
The state “will not allow the use of state resources and academic institutions for political protests under the guise of a struggle over values,” and contrary to the university administrators’ claims, firing Baharav-Miara will not endanger democracy but rather will strengthen it, he continues.
“True democracy exists when the will of the public is expressed and is not repeatedly blocked by non-elected parties,” he argues, stating that “academic institutions are supposed to be places of critical thinking, not a tool for political confrontation.” He says that rather than “trying to impose a political agenda on the general public,” the university heads would be better off focusing “on improving higher education” in Israel.
The Times of Israel Community.