Students strike (Archive)
Photo: Ofer Amram
Universities prepare to strike
Thousands of students receive email from University Heads Committee announcing academic year will not commence as planned unless Finance Ministry adds millions to budget – 'government neglecting higher education, research,' says letter
The Committee of University Heads in Israel launched a mass email on Tuesday to 150,000 students across the country, in which it states that "unfortunately under the current circumstances following negotiations with the Ministry of Finance, we cannot begin the academic year."
that it would tackle the root of the problem and guarantee the survival of the (education) system for many years to come – have not been fulfilled. Negotiations with the Finance Ministry have not resulted in an accord that would enable the proper function of the universities."
The university heads explained the decision by stating: "The promises made by the Israeli government –
Battle for Budget
Yaheli Moran Zelikovich
Committees of university, college heads decide against raising tuition fees, after university heads hold emergency meeting, decides to suspend academic year unless Education Ministry pledges additional resources recommended by Shochat Committee
The statement went on to say that "the higher education and research system is slowly declining. The neglect of higher education and the universities is a crime against national power – based on the creation of knowledge and passing it on to the next generation – encourages the brain drain, and strangles the excellence years of toil have achieved."
Regarding the effect of the impending strike on the students the university heads wrote, "Your education and your life plans have suffered, and the process of research and knowledge has also suffered – but the Israeli government continues to neglect higher education.
"We believe that the government's wrongful decision-making leaves us no choice in our battle for the future of higher education."
The letter adds that the strike announcement could still be withdrawn if circumstances are altered, expressing hopes that "the Israeli government will prevent the harm done to higher education for the third year in a row."
President of Ben Gurion University, Prof. Rivka Carmi, told an assembly of students following the announcement that the budget the universities were requesting constitutes a mere one-fifth of that proposed by the Shochat Report on higher education.
"I have no words to express the anguish and damage being inflicted upon the students," she lamented. "But it's a fact – the State of Israel stands helpless before a problem it must solve, and refuses to implement the recommendations of a committee that set out to solve this problem."
She added that "the students are of course the principal victims, but in the long run Israel will be the one to suffer most – technologically, scientifically, culturally, and spiritually. All of the valuable and irreplaceable assets horded by the universities are going to waste. We are losing people, areas of knowledge and research; the damage is irreversible.
"We are not trying to gain a tactical achievement, we are simply saying we do not have the budget to launch the school year – this is not a threat, but a fact."
