After five days of protests, Ben-Gurion University decided Tuesday, March 11, to lift the suspension of Dr. Sebastian Ben-Daniel. The southern Israeli university suspended the lecturer and announced that it has suspended Ben Daniel “indefinitely” following a series of online statements criticizing the war in Gaza and the occupation of the Palestinian territories on an online account under the name “John Brown”. During several years, Ben Daniel, a teaching fellow in the Department of Computer Science, has used the alias “John Brown” to publish opinions critical of the far-right government and occupation. He is also an opinion columnist for Haaretz and is known for his social media activism.
Dr. Sebastian Ben-Daniel (Footage: Channel 11)
In its initial response to the media, the university clarified that it disapproved of and condemned Dr. Ben Daniel’s statements but also noted that “as horrific as these statements may be, they were not made in the context of Dr. Ben Daniel’s academic work.” However, on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, the university president posted on social media, stating that Dr. Ben Daniel’s remarks had “deeply offended the university community” and that the matter had been referred to the university administration for further handling. The following day, Dr. Ben Daniel was summoned to a meeting with the university’s rector, at the end of which he was suspended — without having been provided prior notice of the allegations against him and without being granted proper hearing, as required by law. His suspension came after a petition was submitted to the university administration, signed by students demanding his dismissal. The petition was initiated and led by activists from the fascist movement “Im Tirtzu,” which also orchestrated the signature campaign.
According to Zo Haderekh, 550 faculty members at all universities and colleges across Israel petitioned BGU authorities on Sunday calling Ben Daniel’s suspension “a new low point.” “Those who are supposed to serve as defenders of freedom of expression are collaborating with forces that seek to harm it.” Ben Daniel also criticized the university’s decision to suspend him, arguing that it was not a personal attack but rather part of a broader effort to suppress free speech. “The people targeting me are not doing so to punish me personally, but rather to undermine freedom of expression in this country by harming academia, one of the last remaining bastions of independent thought,” he wrote. Referencing his upbringing in Argentina during its military dictatorship, he warned that silencing dissent could have irreversible consequences. “Once this path is taken, there will be no turning back,” he wrote.
According to the Israeli Law Professors’ Forum for Democracy, the most important aspect of the right to freedom of expression is the protection of controversial speech, including statements that may be offensive or disturbing. “Such statements do not constitute unlawful incitement. The campaign led by ‘Im Tirtzu’ and other groups demonstrates that it was public pressure — not the content of the statements themselves — that led the university to reverse its initial position and suspend Dr. Ben Daniel. In doing so, the university failed to uphold its duty and role as a pluralistic institution committed to protecting freedom of expression.”
“Moreover, any decision to suspend an employee requires, at the very least, a hearing in which the allegations are presented to the employee and an opportunity is provided to respond — if the institution decides to initiate disciplinary proceedings.” The Forum called on the university administration to act in accordance with the law and to immediately reverse its decision to suspend Dr. Ben Daniel.
In a letter to the BGU authorities, Hadash MK Ofer Cassif wrote, “The university shamefully gave in to far-right pressure when it suspended Dr. Sebastian Ben Daniel, over his criticism of occupation and war on social media. The suspension is a concrete violation of freedom of expression, the twin of academic freedom.”
Also, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) appealed to the President and Rector of Ben-Gurion University calling for Ben Daniel’s suspension to be revoked. ACRi requested “the deletion of the post published by the university president regarding Ben Daniel’s suspension, which contributed to inflaming tensions and began a wave of widespread attacks against him.”
Attorney Tal Hassin argued that Ben Daniel’s suspension for posts made outside of the university, as well as the way in which the suspension itself was carried out, are illegal and represent a shameful surrender to right-wing pressure, both within and outside the university. Hassin stated that Ben Daniel’s “harsh criticisms of the government and state institutions, which he has been making online for many years under his pseudonym, is protected by the substantial safeguards that the law grants to freedom of expression in general and political expression in particular, especially when it comes to provocative opinions and statements that fall outside of the political and social consensus.”
As Hassin wrote in the appeal: “The university is certainly entitled to convey the message that Dr. Ben Daniel’s statements are not made on its behalf and do not reflect the position of its leadership, but his hasty, illegal suspension falls far short of the fundamental principles of due process, and the university’s conduct undermines the right to expression. These actions constitute another stage of academia’s abandonment of the core values of freedom of expression and thought to which it is committed, and another step toward its complete trampling by right-wing, anti-liberal, and anti-democratic elements who dictate their agenda through pressure campaigns.”
In addition, the Knesset passed on past week by a first vote a bill sponsored by racist lawmaker and settler Limor Son Har-Melech (Otzma Yehudit), which would require tertiary education institutions to ban organized public academic activity that shows solidarity “with terrorist organizations or incites terrorism against Israel, including student cells and committees,” against the opinion of the parliament legal counselor.
Related: https://maki.org.il/en/?p=31771
