Professor says leftist 'terrorists' made him apologize for comments - Haaretz

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Tue., August 14, 2007 Av 30, 5767

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		Bar Ilan Professor Hillel Weiss. (Archives)

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Last update - 18:48 13/08/2007

Professor says leftist 'terrorists' made him apologize for comments

By Haaretz Service

Professor Hillel Weiss, soon after submitting a written apology for disparaging remarks he made on an Israel Defense Forces commander last week, said on Monday that leftist "terrorist" pressure forced him to do so.

Weiss, a professor at Bar Ilan University, sent a letter apologizing for wishing death on IDF Hebron Brigade Commander Yehuda Fuchs during the forced evacuation of the Hebron wholesale market last week. The apology was addressed to IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi and Police Commissioner David Cohen.

Soon thereafter, he told Israel Radio that he had been forced to apologize by the president of the university, who in turn was being pressured by "Mapai terrorists."

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Mapai was Israel's dominant left-wing party until the 1960s.

Weiss was filmed saying of Colonel Yehuda Fuchs, "I hope his mother will be bereaved, his wife will be a widow and his children orphans."

Moshe Kaveh, president of Bar-Ilan University, said in response that he regrets that "Professor Weiss knows how to curse and not to apologize," and that the two, in fact, had not spoken on the matter.

Earlier Monday, Kaveh had praised the apology, but said that the university would still consider trying Weiss in an internal disciplinary tribunal. Such a measure is rarely taken by universities.

Weiss will come before a committee headed by Professor Yaakov Neeman, chairman of the university's managing committee and a former justice minister, which will determine whether or not to try him.

Weiss, who had refused to apologize until now, wrote in the letter that he is sorry that "he sunk to using curses" and that he "apologizes for what he said in a fit of rage."

Weiss' death wish set off a wave of condemnations as well as calls to have him suspended from the university.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak approached Attorney General Menachem Mazuz last Thursday on the matter, requesting that Mazuz consider legal action. Ashkenazi ordered the chief army prosecutor to discuss the matter with Mazuz as well.

Later Thursday, Judea and Samaria District Police launched a criminal investigation against Weiss over the incident for suspected incitement.

Ashkenazi spoke to both Colonel Fuchs and his wife on the phone and gave them his full support. According to an army official, Ashkenazi told Fuchs that he was disgusted by Weiss' disparaging words.

"His statements were horrific and need condemnation and public denunciation... The university views his actions very gravely, and demands he take responsibility for them," Kaveh said.

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1.	Where`s Dershowitz?	14:05	\|	W	13/08/07

2.	Ashkenazi - instead of going after Prof. Weiss	14:14	\|	* BEN JABO	13/08/07

3.	Right-wing professor deserve a kick in ......	14:27	\|	Daniel	13/08/07

4.	When is an apology not an apology?	14:29	\|	Josh Goldman	13/08/07

5.	sending donations	14:39	\|	henry	13/08/07

6.	Aplogy	14:46	\|	JordanisPalestine	13/08/07

7.	Such disgusting people among us...	14:58	\|	S	13/08/07

8.	The Apology That Was Not An Apology	15:08	\|	Tony Anthony	13/08/07

9.	prof"aplogy"	15:09	\|	scanadu	13/08/07

10.	Professor Hillel Weiss	15:11	\|	David Berg	13/08/07

11.	Shame on you Bar Ilan	15:12	\|	Kenny	13/08/07

12.	Weiss/Baruch Goldstein - what`s the difference?	15:16	\|	ussishkin	13/08/07

13.	Tree	15:22	\|	Avraham	13/08/07

14.	Tali Fahima`s admirers want a "sincere" apology	15:40	\|	Absolute Sweden	13/08/07

15.	JOSH Goldman@4An apology from apologists for Arab terror is not.	15:44	\|	PETER SM	13/08/07

16.	#15- PETER SM- right on	16:07	\|	peter	13/08/07

17.	Right-wing professor apologizes for wishing IDF commander dead	16:12	\|	Gerald Zang	13/08/07

18.	#2 Ben Jabo re: Hillel Weiss (NS)	16:25	\|	Gerald Zang	13/08/07

19.	W, If I were Alan Dershowitz...	16:25	\|	Akiva Patysh	13/08/07

20.	A hollow meaningless apology and a...	16:29	\|	Dutch Dirk	13/08/07

21.	Professor Hillel Weiss	16:32	\|	Gerald Zang	13/08/07

22.	Excuses and excuses	16:43	\|	Chris	13/08/07

23.	Bar ilan the university that brought us Yiagl Amier	16:49	\|	SJ	13/08/07

24.	#18 Gerald Zang	16:56	\|	* BEN JABO	13/08/07

25.	Gerald Zang,is Weiss "more dangerous" than Ilan Pappe?	17:19	\|	Absolute Sweden	13/08/07

26.	Why don`t we Join the british and boycott Israls Institutions	17:46	\|	Harry	13/08/07

27.	#5 henry	17:52	\|	Boycott	13/08/07

28.	12. Weiss/Baruch Goldstein - what`s the difference? Nothing!!	17:59	\|	Yariv the chiloni	13/08/07

29.	So when is Ms. Olmert going to apologize?	18:12	\|	Gee	13/08/07

30.	Don`t make the right look like barbarians!	18:18	\|	JewishHeart	13/08/07

31.	Olmert`s daughter should go first	18:19	\|	lisa	13/08/07

32.	israel is a banana republic	18:22	\|	david	13/08/07

33.	Lashon HaRah	18:23	\|	JewishHeart	13/08/07

34.	Fire every anti Zionism Professor	18:26	\|	Mordechai	13/08/07

35.	Prof. Weiss	18:29	\|	Marvls	13/08/07

36.	Wishes and Invocations	18:35	\|	Shmuel Bar Yaakov Se	13/08/07

37.	Weiss sounds like a bigger fool every time he opens his mouth	18:41	\|	Natallie Durson	13/08/07

38.	#23 is there a distinction for a left wing fanatic!	18:43	\|	victor hardman	13/08/07

39.	If this monster is teaching our youths how can we object	18:47	\|	S	13/08/07

40.	I just love the crucifixion symbolism	18:49	\|	heinz	13/08/07

41.	23. Bar ilan the university that brought Yial Amier. REALY??	19:05	\|	Alon	13/08/07

42.	Why is Yaacov Neeman a professor?	19:10	\|	Law Professor	13/08/07

43.	Idiotic Utterances, Professorism & Lack Of Integrity	19:20	\|	Brad	13/08/07

44.	the left	19:23	\|	Mark	13/08/07

45.	# 35	19:37	\|	Jacob	13/08/07

46.	When is a Gholdman not a Goldman	19:39	\|	Herbert Kaine	13/08/07

47.	He should apologize.	20:09	\|	Chick	13/08/07

48.	Demonstration of lack of wisdom	20:10	\|	Mark	13/08/07

49.	#39 S "our children"	20:10	\|	* BEN JABO	13/08/07

50.	Thin Veneer	20:10	\|	Robert	13/08/07

51.	To Yariv: about Weiss/Goldstein	20:10	\|	John	13/08/07

52.	For the sake of "Bar Ilan" - this "proffesor" must go	20:14	\|	Tal	13/08/07

53.	Weiss	20:16	\|	paul	13/08/07

54.	re: Gerald Zang	20:20	\|	Efox	13/08/07

55.	Bar Ilan cmte decides! `Weiss curses not harsh enough.`	20:22	\|	Bar Ilan Professor	13/08/07

56.	Thought Police Threaten To Kill People Who Speak	20:23	\|	Efox	13/08/07

57.	No. 19	20:31	\|	W	13/08/07

58.	#37 Natallie Durson	20:35	\|	Sarah	13/08/07

59.	If said in the US	20:37	\|	W	13/08/07

60.	EDUCATED IDIOT	20:58	\|	SM	13/08/07

61.	HEY BARAK - GET AHMEDINEJAD TO APOLOGIZE FIRST!	20:59	\|	SOLLY	13/08/07

62.	A vile man in our midst	21:03	\|	Esther	13/08/07

63.	It is immoral to ethnically cleanse Judea	21:04	\|	David	13/08/07

64.	Bar Ilan is also a bastion of hardline leftwing professors ..	21:05	\|	Joe	13/08/07

65.	For JewishHeart #33	21:07	\|	Esther	13/08/07

66.	Re Natallie Durson #37	21:12	\|	Esther	13/08/07

67.	#39	21:17	\|	pace306	13/08/07

68.	Should we start from the left-wing extremists?	21:25	\|	a Jew	13/08/07

69.	To SM #60	21:36	\|	paul	13/08/07

70.	Another professor proves intelligent does not confer commonsense	22:27	\|	PETER SM	13/08/07

71.	BEN JABO #49	22:38	\|	S	13/08/07

72.	THE MORE THESE EXTREMISTS EXPOSE THEIR TRUE FACE THE BETTER	22:46	\|	davidg	13/08/07

73.	Re *BEN JABO #24	23:10	\|	Esther	13/08/07

74.	DUTCH DIRK a hollow meaningless post.	23:16	\|	PETER SM	13/08/07

75.	W - "So truth is a threat to Israel. Glad you understand."	00:13	\|	Akiva Patysh	14/08/07

76.	Gerald Zang of Kfar Saba, Israel	00:15	\|	Akiva Patysh	14/08/07

77.	#73 Esther - TA	00:28	\|	* BEN JABO	14/08/07

78.	#37 NUTallie Durson	00:30	\|	* BEN JABO	14/08/07

79.	#71 S -TA	00:39	\|	* BEN JABO	14/08/07

80.	#73-2 Esther	00:41	\|	* BEN JABO	14/08/07

81.	ben jabo 2	01:25	\|	realism	14/08/07

82.	BEN JABO - Jabotinsky wouldn`t talk that way to a lady	01:31	\|	Hadar	14/08/07

83.	ben jabo 24	01:35	\|	realism	14/08/07

84.	Haaretz never writes the whole story/more left wing in education	01:43	\|	Jabadini	14/08/07

85.	#81 realism	02:26	\|	* BEN JABO	14/08/07

86.	the good professor gives substance to the reasons for boycott	10:32	\|	eric	14/08/07

87.	#82 Hadar - Back to the Carmel	18:45	\|	* BEN JABO	14/08/07

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