Otzma Yehudit MK Almog Cohen burst into a lecture at Ben-Gurion University in Beersheba this morning (Tuesday), together with activists from the Im Tirtzu movement.
The intrusion was in protest against the lecturer Dr. Sebastian Ben-Daniel, who published articles against the war in Gaza under the name "John Brown."
"I came this morning to Ben-Gurion University due to the lecturer Sebastian Ben-Daniel's anti-Semitic remarks, who called the IDF's heroic soldiers 'baby killers, war criminals, neo‑Nazis,' etc. I will not allow someone who is paid with public funds to express himself this way - while many of his students, on the right or the left, are reservists themselves."
The university said, "MK Almog Cohen burst into a catch‑up class, a class that is also held for reservist students, thereby causing the class to stop and harming those reservists in whose name he claims to speak. This is an especially regrettable incident - both because it harmed soldiers who returned from the front and are trying to complete their studies, and because such conduct is not appropriate for an elected official."
The university also emphasized, "It is a pity that he chose a bullying approach rather than a path of dialogue. As we responded last year - the university condemns the remarks of Dr. Sebastian Ben-Daniel, and they do not represent it in any way. However, it is important to stress that the statements are written and said off campus and do not constitute a violation of the law."
The Zo HaDerech organization criticized the event: "MK Almog Cohen and 'Im Tirtzu' thugs disrupted a class this morning in the Computer Science department at Ben-Gurion University led by Dr. Sebastian Ben-Daniel. The university security staff present did not intervene. It should be noted that in recent weeks Education Minister Yoav Kisch demanded the lecturer's dismissal."