A petition circulated by an Israeli college protesting the state's intention to deport African migrants who entered the country illegally has provoked an unexpected backlash by students, who balked at what they called the school's misuse of public funds.
Beit Berl academic college in central Israel recently urged staff and students to sign a petition calling on the government to reconsider its policies, which urge illegal migrants to leave voluntarily for a third-party country or face incarceration.
"We, the faculty members and students at the Beit Berl academic college, call on the Israeli government to reconsider its decision to deport refugees," the petition reads.
"Our faculty, staff and students represent the Israeli mosaic at its best and they practice the values we believe in and to which we educate daily. The planned deportation of refugees contradicts these values, and it stands in stark contrast to the recent past of the Jewish people, and other peoples, who have had to struggle for the right to maintain their national and cultural identity.
"The deportation of refugees further contradicts the future we aspire to, one of a civilized, democratic, moral and humane society. … We urge the government to annul its decision to deport the refugees and formulate a different solution that will ensure they live in dignity in Israel. We also urge the government to deal with other underprivileged sectors in society with the same humanistic and democratic spirit."
However, students expressed opposition to the petition, calling it a "cynical and political" abuse of public funds. Some questioned whether the college was legally allowed to promote the petition, while others said Beit Berl had "become political" and they were considering leaving it in favor of other schools.
The petition involves "the obvious use of public funds by an academic institution for political purposes," said Matan Peleg, head of the right-wing Im Tirtzu organization, which received student complaints about the petition.
"Institutions directly funded by the Council for Higher Education and the government cannot take a political stand or promote it via text messages and emails to students. Beyond a clear violation of the Council for Higher Education directives seeking to minimize politicization in academia, this raises concerns about improper conduct bordering on actual violation of the law," he said.
Peleg said Education Minister Naftali Bennett, who heads the Council for Higher Education, "has a professional obligation to intervene."
In response, Beit Berl issued a statement saying, "As a college that champions and educates to values of humanity, tolerance and compassion, we – like many other bodies, including academic institutions – have found it necessary to publish a petition calling on the government to reconsider deporting asylum seekers. No one is made to sign the petition."
A similar petition was also circulated at the Shenkar College of Engineering and Design, earning similar criticism.
A statement from Shenkar said the petition there was "the result of voluntary action by lecturers and students, which took place on their free time and made no use of the institution's funds. Shenkar is proud of its teachers and students, who are socially and ethically involved in the effort to preserve the values of Israeli society."
