Lecturer who nixed IDF uniform in class target of paint attack

A man wearing an army uniform and a mask burst into a Ben-Gurion University classroom Monday and dumped blue paint on the instructor, in what appears to be a reprisal after the instructor told a student not to come to class in uniform a few months ago.

A similar incident occurred at Sapir College last year, when lecturer Nizar Hassan asked a student returning from reserve duty not to attend class in uniform. Following that incident, the college began proceedings to fire Hassan.

A Ben-Gurion University spokesman said the instructor, mathematics teaching assistant Yakim Silverman, was in a classroom with two students on Monday when a man walked by, poured paint on him and fled. The university's security department is investigating the incident.

This comes after a May incident when Silverman asked a student not to come to class in his army uniform. The student refused to leave. Amir Rosenblit, the spokesman at the Be'er Sheva university, told Haaretz that the administration had censured Silverman, and that Silverman acknowledged his error. No comment was available from the student.

"I believe it was a fair fight," said Silverman, explaining why he would not be filing a complaint with the police.

In his profile on the LinkedIn social network, Silverman defines himself as a "teacher at bgu university," in "Palestinian Territory."

Rosenblit said that at this stage, the university's security department has not confirmed the incidents are connected.

Silverman's request to the uniformed student sparked a student protest at the university. On the university's online forum, one student tried to get others to attend Silverman's class in uniform.

"If anyone wishes to join me, I am going to Yakim Silverman's class on Monday between 12 P.M. and 2 P.M., in uniform, of course," wrote the student. "I plan to do this every week until the end of the semester. I know this bothered a lot of people here, so come take initiative."

Another student objected: "Maybe you should also bring your rifle from reserve duty and simply shoot Yakim," he wrote.