22.3.26
Statement by the Senate of Tel Aviv University
For a long time now, we have been witnessing acts of violence by Jewish
residents in the West Bank against Palestinian residents. These acts, which include
severe harm to persons and property, intimidation, humiliation, and
displacement, have in some cases escalated into shocking acts of murder. These
phenomena have intensified over the past month, under the cover of the war with
Iran.
As citizens of the State of Israel, we bear a heavy moral responsibility and
feel deep shame in the face of this rampant Jewish terrorism. We protest the failure
of the government and security forces to act with the necessary resolve against
this phenomenon by using all means at their disposal. Terror directed against
innocent civilians does not change according to the identity of the perpetrator or
the victim; terror is terror, and it must be eradicated.
The State of Israel, as the authority responsible for the territories, bears a
clear obligation under both international and Israeli law: to ensure the safety and
well-being of all residents, Jews and Palestinians alike. Beyond this legal duty, the
government bears a paramount moral obligation: not to permit the shedding of
blood in the West Bank, whether by action or by failure to act. As a people who
have experienced pogroms and persecution driven by racism, we are bound to
remember where such a path may lead. We must not stand idly by.
History teaches us that in times of war, human rights are often pushed to
the margins in the name of the demands of the moment or the pursuit of victory.
We refuse to accept this reality. Jewish terrorism serves no legitimate purpose; on
the contrary, it erodes the very foundations of our existence. Silence in the face of
terror from within is a moral stain that cannot be erased, for the strength of the
State of Israel is measured not only by its military power, but first and foremost
by the integrity of its values.