Herzog warns of ‘dangerous fascistization’ in university lecturers’ ethics code

Opposition leader MK Isaac Herzog (Zionist Union) slams the new ethics code proposed by Education Minister Naftali Bennett that would bar university faculty from expressing political opinions in the classroom.

At the start of the weekly Zionist Union faction meeting in the Knesset, Herzog says he sees trends of “fascism” in Israeli society, including in the proposed code.

“When you silence poets and authors, artists and actors, judges and the media — this is a very dangerous fascistization,” he says.

Herzog also accuses Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of caving to pressure from his rightist coalition partners, thereby missing an opportunity for a historic peace process last year.

“The State of Israel could have been in the midst of an incredible regional peace process that we haven’t seen since the founding of the state,” Herzog says.

“Netanyahu is the one who went soft, he betrayed the opportunity and gave in to pressure from [Environmental Protection Minister Ze’ev] Elkin, [Tourism Minister Yariv] Levin, and [Jewish Home leader Naftali] Bennett,” he charges.

Herzog’s comments come after the Haaretz daily reported that he, Netanyahu and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi held a secret meeting in Cairo in April 2016 to discuss efforts at restarting Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

— Marissa Newman