The student leadership has given the government an ultimatum on Tuesday: If tuition increases, they will reinstate their struggle.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said shortly after the ultimatum was issued that he would personally determine the tuition rate for the upcoming academic year.
Two weeks ago, the students received a commitment by Olmert and
Education Minister Yuli Tamir stating that the tuition will not be increased. Later, Ynet published a report on the government's supposed intention to raise tuition by NIS 1,000 (about $280).
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Leaders of Israel’s student unions conducted a meeting on Monday night to discuss the mixed message and unanimously decided to give the government an ultimatum.
According to the student leaders, “If the Israeli government does not reach a decision by Sunday, September 7, regarding the freezing or decrease of tuition, the students will have no choice but to resist it.”
“The students’ decision stems from the foot-dragging over the past few months on anything concerning higher education in general and tuition specifically,” they added.
The date of the ultimatum is not coincidental, since the students must pay their tuition by September 14. Logistically, if the situation is not resolved by at least a week prior, huge disorder will ensue.
For the time being, university representatives were instructed to freeze tuition sums in accordance with the tuition slips that were already sent to the students; but if the government does not confirm the students’ requests, new slips will be sent to the students’ homes with the updated fee.
“A destructive uncertainty prevails in the higher education system,” said National Student Union Chairman Boaz Toporovsky.
“There is no way that 250,000 students do not know how much they will need to pay for the upcoming school year. If a decision will not finally be made to freeze tuition, the students will view this as an intentional tuition increase.
“Such a move will force us to reinstate an uncompromising struggle against the government which is not abiding by its commitments,” said Toporovsky.
At this juncture, the student representatives have said that they are not interested in striking. However, if tuition is raised they will view this as a causus belli, a call to war against the Israeli government for dishonoring the deal.
The student organizations announced that then they will begin an unprecedented struggle, “with all the tools at their disposal.”
“For the past few months, the government has been trying to force the student population to begin a prolonged struggle against it by use of various forms of deceit,” said Netanel Izak, the head of Israel's Student Organization.
“We don’t want to conduct this struggle but if we have no choice we will struggle with all our might against the evil decree.
“The government is a pious fraud and there is no doubt that it is one of the most successful jokes on the market in everything related to honoring agreements,” said Izak.
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