On Wednesday, 28 Iyar, the Knesset Education Committee convened an emergency session to discuss the concern that Ben-Gurion University is promoting the BDS movement.

The committee was initiated by MKs Bezalel Smotrich (Bayit Yehudi), Anat Berko (Likud) and Oded Forer (Yisrael Beitenu) following the University�s recent promotion of a controversial workshop run by far-Left NGOs and sponsored by the European Union, which taught students how to effectively film protests.

Ben-Gurion University has come under fire in the past for its affiliation with anti-Zionism and BDS. In 2011, Israel�s Council for Higher Education recommended shutting down the University�s Department of Politics and Government unless changes were implemented.

Education Committee Chairman MK (Shas) Yaakov Margi said: �It is outrageous that such a phenomenon is occurring within Israel. We need to deal with whoever is promoting it.�

MK Bezalel Smotrich added: �You cannot talk about freedom of expression when [the professors] are signing in their name and in the name of the University on petitions against the State of Israel.�

�You cannot invoke freedom of expression on the one hand and protect the professors, yet not allow a member of the Board of Governors to express his opinion,� said Smotrich referring to an alleged attempt of the University to kick out a member of its Board of Governors who spoke out against this issue.

Ben-Gurion University President Rivka Carmi was also present at the discussion and rebuffed the claims that the University is involved in promoting BDS.

�The University is spearheading the battle against BDS,� said Carmi. �Again and again empty allegations arise [against the University]. The organizers of this discussion will not frighten us.�

Carmi also rejected the accusation that the University was trying to silence a member of its Board of Governors: �It has been said that we are silencing Michael Gross. We have listened to all of his comments. Michael Gross called me personally a �Kapo,� and that�s the way he treats the University.�

Ahead of the discussion, the Zionist organization Im Tirtzu distributed reports citing a number of what it referred to as �anti-Israel� statements from Ben-Gurion University faculty, including public calls to boycott Israel.

�It is impossible to deny the involvement of Ben-Gurion University and its faculty in the delegitimization of Israel and IDF soldiers, and in the promotion of boycotts and international pressure against Israel,� said Im Tirtzu CEO Matan Peleg.

Peleg called on Carmi to �take responsibility� and immediately deal with this issue.

MK (Meretz) Tamar Zandberg shot back at Peleg, calling Im Tirtzu a group of �hooligans.�

�You have been pestering the Knesset for a long time now. Everyone works for you. You are engaging in a witch hunt,� said Zandberg.

At the conclusion of the session, Education Committee Chairman Margi remarked that he was pleased that the discussion convened. �Whoever calls to harm Israel, we must fight against them,� concluded Margi.

(YWN � Israel Desk, Jerusalem)