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Last update - 10:04 06/02/2008
Israeli Arab lecturer told to say he respects students' right to wear IDF uniform
By Tamara Traubmann, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: IDF, israel, lecturer 

An Arab filmmaker must declare that he respects the uniform of the Israel Defense Forces in order to continue working as a lecturer at Sapir College, the institution's president, Prof. Ze'ev Tzahor, has decided.

The decision stemmed from an incident in November, when a student on leave from his annual reserve duty showed up in uniform to Nizar Hassan's class. Hassan asked the student, Eyal Cohen, to leave, and when Cohen refused, the lecturer forbade him to talk for the rest of the class. Hassan said that he refuses to teach soldiers, and therefore, Cohen would only be allowed to talk if he came to class in civilian dress.

The incident aroused an uproar, and Tzahor ordered a disciplinary hearing. Last week, the disciplinary committee, comprised of other lecturers at the college, published its conclusion: that Hassan's behavior "merited the harshest condemnation," and that he should be required to apologize to Cohen. While a lecturer has every right to express political views, the committee wrote, he has no right to try to force them on his students.
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Tzahor forwarded these findings to Hassan, but added that in making his apology, the lecturer should "discuss respect for the IDF uniform and the absolute right of any student to enter your class in uniform." He added that he would not accept an apology that did not meet this requirement.

Hassan's attorney, Eti Livni, wrote to Tzahor this week and asked him to withdraw this demand, calling it "humiliating, racist and discriminatory" and accusing him of having "caved in to heavy political pressure," including from the army.

In addition, a group of Sapir students plan to demonstrate against Tzahor's decision Wednesday, saying that no other lecturer has ever been asked to declare his respect for the IDF uniform. Some 20 students have signed a letter saying they would leave the collage if Hassan were fired.

In response, Tzahor said: "I did not intend to humiliate [Hassan] or demand an oath of loyalty to the IDF and its uniform, but for Nizar to write a personal letter to the student in which he declares that he respects the fact that the student was wearing an IDF uniform."
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  1.   swinging back too far 04:31  |  Pablo B 06/02/08
  2.   Should have been fired, but shouldn`t be asked to do this 04:46  |  David B. 06/02/08
  3.   Those who want to destroy the state do not respect its defenders 04:59  |  Shalom Freedman 06/02/08
  4.   arab film lecturer 05:05  |  Ellis 06/02/08
  5.   This lecturer should be fired 05:13  |  Rachel 06/02/08
  6.   He deserves yo be fired 05:40  |  Vittorio 06/02/08
  7.   Arab "Educator": Don`t mimick his wrong 06:11  |  Brad 06/02/08
  8.   Lecturer got off easy, hopefully he`ll "resign in protest" 06:15  |  Susan 06/02/08
  9.   before too long 06:18  |  David King 06/02/08
  10.   no not fired. respect for the army which protects the state over 06:33  |  ralph 06/02/08
  11.   No place for the likes of Nizar Hassan on Israeli campuses 07:03  |  Raymond from DC 06/02/08
  12.   #9 and then they`ll move on to Australia 07:08  |  fiona 06/02/08
  13.   "Arabia" to "Zion" is ref`d 18 to 153 times in the Old Testament 07:31  |  avigdor 06/02/08
  14.   In fairness all Israeli lectures need to respect Hamas kafiyas 2 08:06  |  Jeremy Martin 06/02/08
  15.   I`m sure he can find a teaching job in Bir Zeit or Gaza. 08:42  |  bat yam 06/02/08
  16.   arab lecturer 08:58  |  marknusbaum 06/02/08
  17.   "Refuses to teach soliders"?? 09:14  |  US CITIZEN 06/02/08
  18.   How many of you? 09:15  |  Just Curious 06/02/08
  19.   David B: possibly so but 09:29  |  Star of David 06/02/08
  20.   Hassan 09:59  |  Dr. Richard A. Berg 06/02/08
  21.   Soldiers Serving Freedom & Democracy eserve The Highest Respect 10:00  |  Laguna Geno 06/02/08
  22.   Why on earth would someone want to wear a uniform to class? 10:24  |  Clickfool 06/02/08
  23.   Guess who said this 10:39  |  Clickfool 06/02/08
  24.   The internal Arab danger ignored. 10:43  |  Harold Lane 06/02/08
  25.   NO SECOND CHANCE FOR THE TRAITOR 10:46  |  Yishai Kohen 06/02/08
  26.   This is the reason arabs don`t belong in Israel 10:58  |  don 06/02/08
  27.   ClickFOOL 11:03  |  Dr. Richard A. Berg 06/02/08
  28.   #22, clickfool, because the person is on active duty 11:06  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 06/02/08
  29.   For unlucky Richard A.Berg # 27 11:25  |  Clickfool 06/02/08
  30.   Question for Cipora # 28 11:28  |  Clickfool 06/02/08
  31.   The November incident. 11:28  |  Maureen Ann 06/02/08
  32.   Before you all start pointing the finger... 11:36  |  Ryan 06/02/08
  33.   Send him teaching Hizbullah in Lebanon 11:42  |  maurice 06/02/08
  34.   A Jewish lecturer teaching a German in Nazi uniform 11:44  |  Happy Greek 06/02/08
  35.   #30, do you understand the meaning of active duty? 11:44  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 06/02/08
  36.   I agree with Pablo 11:50  |  Michael 06/02/08
  37.   Ryan 11:51  |  Zelkha 06/02/08
  38.   Legitimate resistance Jeremy? 11:52  |  Michael 06/02/08
  39.   to clickfool 11:53  |  Harry 06/02/08
  40.   clickFOOL 11:55  |  Michael 06/02/08
  41.   Ryan`s bias is evident 11:57  |  Michael 06/02/08
  42.   #22 more inanity from boris the clucking fool 11:58  |  v hardman 06/02/08
  43.   Clickfool: 12:03  |  Iz Ray Leigh 06/02/08
  44.   Gee... 12:11  |  Ryan 06/02/08
  45.   Just fire the jerk aand get it over with 12:16  |  Petra 06/02/08
  46.   Pablo who is teaching democracy 12:19  |  Aby 06/02/08
  47.   #23 historical revisionist revealed 12:20  |  Ilan 06/02/08
  48.   Israel Believes in the freedom of speech 12:27  |  Wael 06/02/08
  49.   Where does he think he lives??? In a TV land????? 12:30  |  De 06/02/08
  50.   Happy Greek 12:32  |  Aby 06/02/08
  51.   IF he can dictate dress code,why not demand Burqa next? 12:35  |  PETER SM 06/02/08
  52.   RESPECT his right to teach in the Islamic Republic of Palestine 12:38  |  PETER SM 06/02/08
  53.   IDF uniform in class 12:38  |  Tobie Kuritsky 06/02/08
  54.   Pablo # 1 12:43  |  Gabe 06/02/08
  55.   "DAVID KING" the Arabs tried to steal it all,thats how it started 12:47  |  PETER SM 06/02/08
  56.   Hs should have ignored the uniform! 12:48  |  Shlomo 06/02/08
  57.   Let him go to Gaza 12:51  |  Antony 06/02/08
  58.   HAPPY GREEK like a Turk discriminated against by the most racist 13:04  |  PETER SM 06/02/08
  59.   #22 - You know Clickfool... 13:27  |  JES 06/02/08
  60.   #18 - Just Curious 13:32  |  JES 06/02/08
  61.   #32 - Ryan - where you`re wrong 13:35  |  JES 06/02/08
  62.   #31 - Maureen Ann - Correction 13:37  |  JES 06/02/08
  63.   Not me, Iz Ray Leigh # 43 13:41  |  Clickfool 06/02/08
  64.   # 22 Clicky...how absurd 13:41  |  Lynn 06/02/08
  65.   # 9 David King...Australian mufti 13:46  |  Lynn 06/02/08
  66.   #1 13:47  |  Moshe 06/02/08
  67.   Dressing appropriately is only civilized 13:49  |  Tim 06/02/08
  68.   # 63 clicky....yes you did comment on this 13:58  |  Lynn 06/02/08
  69.   #22 13:58  |  Moshe 06/02/08
  70.   #67 - No Tim, you should grow up 13:59  |  JES 06/02/08
  71.   This is Facism 14:06  |  Yaakov Sullivan 06/02/08
  72.   # 67 Tim of Toronto...you should grow up 14:08  |  Lynn 06/02/08