A conference focusing on harsh claims against Israel Prison Service (IPS) servicemembers, which was scheduled to be held on Monday at Tel Aviv University, will not be held on campus after Arutz Sheva exposed it.
The organizers of the event titled "Behind Bars" wished to claim that Israel kills, tortures, and starves Palestinian Arab prisoners.
The invitation to the conference claims that "in the past years, 110 Palestinian prisoners and detainees died in prison in Israel, and that thousands are being held in administrative detention or as illegal combatants without indictments and without a release date." It also claims that prison conditions include hunger, illness, humiliation, rape, and beatings, and that the claims are recorded in human rights organizations' reports.
Among those scheduled to address the conference were Attorney Sausan Zahar from the Adalah organization and the Faculty of Law Human Rights Clinic, Naji Abbas from Physicians for Human Rights, and Adv. Ben Marmarelli.
The Hadash Student Organization, which organized the event, announced that it will be held off campus.
A letter sent by the B’Tsalmo organization to University President Prof. Ariel Porat stated that “this is an inciting event that constitutes a severe affront to Prison Service members. It is a slap in the face to students serving in the reserves and in the security forces."
“Would you allow a conference to be held ahead of Passover about Jews who murder Christian children and use their blood to bake matzah? That is exactly what you are doing, and worse," B’Tsalmo added.
Following the cancellation, the organization’s CEO, Shai Glick, said, “One who admits wrongdoing and abandons it will find mercy. There is no place for inciting events against the security forces on campuses."
The office of Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir stated: “I am proud of the changes I have led in the prisons holding terrorists, together with Prison Service Commissioner Kobi Yaakobi. The summer camps in terrorist prisons are over. Terrorists deserve the bare minimum under the law until we pass a mandatory death penalty law for terrorists. Tel Aviv University went off the rails long ago when it allowed demonstrations by terror supporters on its grounds. The disgrace belongs to Tel Aviv University for hosting on its campus a bizarre, unfounded, and inciting event against prison officers who work day and night to ensure the state’s security. I am proud of them and support them; we will not be deterred."