Prof. Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, who was suspended last week from Hebrew University for denying Hamas' October 7 atrocities, will remain suspended until she retracts her statements, Prof. Asher Ben-Arieh, the head of the institute's School of Social Work, said on Tuesday.
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"The decision is rooted in the denial of cases of murder and rape of citizens, women and children, in stark contrast to the professional values of social work," Ben-Arieh said.
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Professor Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian denies the events of October 7
(Photo: OPIS Zagreb / Shutterstock)
However, he noted that he is willing to give her another chance if she acknowledges the events that occurred during the Hamas massacre. "If she acknowledges it, the decision to suspend her from teaching will be immediately revoked."
Earlier this month, Shalhoub-Kevorkian said in an interview that "It's time to cancel Zionism," and cast doubts about reported cases of rape on October 7, that Israel was fabricating facts to push a narrative.
"They started with babies, they continued with rape, and they will continue with a million other lies. We stopped believing them, I hope the world stops believing them,” she said.
In response to the controversy, the Hebrew University said in a statement that it "vehemently rejects all her distorted remarks. The Hebrew University is proud to be an Israeli, public and Zionist institution. As in the past, the heads of the university reiterate their call for the professor to find another academic home that aligns with her positions at this stage, and in order to maintain a safe climate on campus for the benefit of our students the university has decided to suspend her from teaching."
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Protest at Hebrew University against Prof. Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian
(Photo: Roni Green Shaulov)
In a letter to the university community, Ben-Arieh wrote on Tuesday, "Tensions are high in the school, protests have taken place and many of you have approached me and the administration with genuine concern. The decision is not based on such or other political statements. It is moral, academic and professional. We have never been and will never be part of the political game unfolding today."
"Those who deny cases of murder and rape cannot teach at the School of Social Work, just as those who argue that homosexual relations are a deviation requiring conversion therapy, or those who claim that hitting women in the family is an acceptable way to discipline them," he added.