An Israeli-born professor at City, University of London has been branded a “terrorist” and “war criminal” by pro-Palestinian student activists, who are calling for his dismissal on the basis of his nationality and compulsory military service during the 1980s.
Professor Michael Ben-Gad, who teaches economics at City’s School of Policy and Global Affairs, was accused by the group City Action for Palestine (CAP) of “working in a genocidal society” and of having “served in the IOF Armoured Corps” – a reference to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The group has urged the university to sack him, issue a public apology, and “consider such fundamental matters when hiring in future.”
In a separate social media post, CAP said: “We will not be silenced. We will not allow evil to roam free on our campus”, adding: “Until Liberation & Return.”
Israel’s system of national conscription applies to almost all Jewish, Druze and Circassian citizens, meaning that anyone from those communities who came of age in Israel would also have undertaken military duty, with men required to complete at least 32 months and women 24. Ben-Gad’s service took place between 1982 and 1985, long before his academic career began.
The campaign against Professor Ben-Gad has included a sustained social media campaign, demonstrations inside university buildings, and the launch of a Change.org petition entitled “Sack Michael Ben-Gad Immediately!”
CAP has also circulated a graphic on social media using information from the university’s public website, highlighting the professor’s military record and previous employment at Israeli institutions.
In a striking example of what the American writer Freddie deBoer has termed “offence archaeology” – the practice of trawling through a person’s past to unearth affiliations or experiences deemed morally disqualifying – the group highlighted his tenure at the University of Haifa between 2001 and 2007, describing it as “six years working in a genocidal society”. His undergraduate study at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1988 was criticised as having taken place “in the occupied territories”. The post, co-branded with another group called the Association of Student Activism for Palestine, concluded: “Shame on City for allowing a terrorist to be near and teach Arab and Muslim students.”
The campaign prompted immediate concern among academics, who warned that efforts to remove Professor Ben-Gad represented a dangerous attempt to politicise professional life and risks setting a precedent under which other lecturers could be driven out because they are Israeli, Jewish, or members of other national or religious groups.
CAF Advisory Board member Alice Sullivan, professor of sociology at University College London, said she stood in solidarity with her colleague, describing the campaign as “anti-Semitic harassment”.
“Students are demanding his sacking simply because he is an Israeli Jew who has done (mandatory) military service” she wrote on the social media platform X. “The anti-Semitic harassment he is being subjected to is horrifying. I hesitate to amplify it, but British academics need to understand what is happening.”
Another CAF Advisory Board member, Abhishek Saha, professor of mathematics at Queen Mary University of London, described the petition as “vile, targeted harassment on the basis of national origin and religion”.
It is understood that the President of City, Professor Sir Anthony Finkelstein, and the university’s Senior Leadership Team have expressed strong support for Professor Ben-Gad.
This article forms part of the Committee for Academic Freedom’s monitoring of developments in UK higher education. To receive monthly updates and analysis on cases affecting academic freedom, click the link and subscribe to our newsletter.