The Im Tirtzu campus Zionist movement has sent a letter to the dean of the Faculty of Humanities of the Hebrew University demanding that Hatikva, Israel's national anthem, be performed at university academic ceremonies, following Wednesday's announcement that such would not be the case at Thursday evening's graduation for the second year in a row.
The letter claimed that it was of the utmost importance that a leading academic body in the country broadcast that it was comfortable with the existence of the State of Israel.
In recordings publicized on Israel Defense Forces Radio Thursday morning, an employee in the faculty office explains that the anthem will not be performed because of what she called "consideration for the other side," that is, Arab students and guests. The school reported "There is no statutory provision and/or guidance from the Council for Higher Education regarding the singing of anthems at academic ceremonies, and therefore there is no basis for any argument with the Hebrew University on the subject."