Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian: Hebrew University professor resigns due to 'Zionism's hold on Israeli universities'

Renowned Palestinian feminist academic Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian has resigned from her post at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem saying this was due to her rejection of Zionism and its "control" of Israeli academia in the wake of Israel's "genocidal" war on Gaza.

The news of Shalhoub-Kevorkian's resignation circulated on Wednesday as far-right organisations – such as the self-styled human rights group Btsalmo (In His Image) – celebrated her departure from the major Israeli institution.

Shalhoub-Kevorkian's decision comes following an intensive public campaign of intimidation against her after she signed a November petition calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Following her signing of the petition, which was also endorsed by over 1,000 researchers across the world, the Hebrew University asked her to "find another academic home".

She was then suspended from teaching in March and briefly arrested in April for charges relating to "incitement" for her vocal anti-war and anti-Zionist stance.

Her defence lawyer Alaa Mahajna told The New Arab's affiliate site Arab 48: "Professor Shalhoub-Kevorkian made the decision early on […] that it was impossible for her to work at a university defining itself as Zionist, but which at the same time talked about freedom of expression and education".

He explained that she had taken her decision before and informed the university she would not be continuing her employment there in the new academic year.

Israeli media and organisations such as Btsalmo put Shalhoub-Kevorkian's resignation down to the pressure placed on her by figures and organisations who condemned her anti-Zionist positions and her description of Israel's war on Gaza as "genocidal".

However, Mahajna clarified that the scholar had in fact based her decision on what was happening more broadly in Israeli academia, namely, the hold of Zionist ideology over universities, as well as the political persecution of those deviating from this ideology, and the prohibition of free speech.

The campaign of harassment against Shalhoub-Kevorkian reached its peak on 12 March 2024 when the Hebrew University temporarily suspended her teaching duties due to her stance against the war on Gaza and other anti-Zionist positions she had expressed in a podcast aired on March 9.

In the podcast episode named "There is so much love in Palestine", Shalhoub-Kevorkian detailed her own experiences of working and living under the Israeli occupation and spoke about the genocide in Gaza, the Israeli authorities' withholding of bodies, and settler violence.

Shalhoub-Kevorkian was later arrested from her home in the Armenian quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem on 18 April 2024, and her home was ransacked by police.

However, she was released after appearing before the Jerusalem District Court despite the police’s appeal against the court decision.

The police claimed that Shalhoub-Kevorkian had engaged in "serious incitement against the State of Israel by making statements against Zionism and even claiming that Israel is committing genocide in the Gaza Strip," and noted the "significant influence" her statements have.

Despite her release, she was subjected to several further interrogations at a police station in Jerusalem.

While her decision to resign was not recent, Mahajna explained that the news had been circulated publicly on Wednesday, after proceedings against Shalhoub-Kevorkian had continued in recent months.

"The right-wing organisation Btsalmo had filed a complaint to the university's ethics committee against Professor Kevorkian in May, and we responded that they had no authority to submit a complaint against [her], and the university administration agreed".

He added: "Btsalmo is a right-wing extremist organisation with a racist agenda against Arab citizens, which focuses its efforts and activity against Arab academics in Israeli educational institutions.

"The work of this fascist and racist organisation is to constantly persecute Arabs to satisfy the extremist Israeli right."

Mahajna said that Shalhoub-Kevorkian had received compensation from the university for its behaviour towards her, and ultimately her decision was due to "conditions which have been created in the Israeli universities, which consider themselves to be Zionist, and criminalize those opposed this".

Regarding her academic future, Mahajna said: "Professor Kevorkian has received many offers from well-known and prestigious educational institutions across the world, including Harvard University in the US, and many other academic institutions […] and she will continue her career in one of the world’s prestigious institutions."

This is an edited translation with additional reporting. To read the original article click here.

This article was originally published by Arab48.

Translated by Rose Chacko