CHAOS IN ZAGREB Because of Netanyahu’s brother, students blocked the college. They held a protest

At the unannounced invitation of political scientist and professor Boris Havel, Benjamin’s brother gave a lecture as part of the course ‘Oriental Jews and Arabs in the Time of Zionism’. Riverč is about a course that deals with the relations between Jews and Arabs in the Middle East, from the first Jewish immigration to Palestine until the present day.

The student club published an official statement in which they oppose the arrival of the brother of the Israeli prime minister.

– The Student Club of the Faculty of Political Sciences hereby expresses its dismay and absolute condemnation of Iddo Netanyahu’s guest lecture at the Faculty of Political Sciences as part of the course “Oriental Jews and Arabs in the time of Zionism”, chaired by Professor Boris Havel. After his previous scandalous sexist comment towards the journalist Maja Sever, Professor Havel decided to raise the bar to a new and quite astonishing level. We do not plan to remain silent on that – they announced.

Faculty reaction

The Faculty of Political Sciences itself announced about everything and revealed that they did not know about the arrival of the Israeli in Zagreb.

– The administration of the Faculty of Political Sciences of the University of Zagreb was not aware in advance of the guest lecture by Idda Netanyahu, held as part of the course “Oriental Jews and Arabs in the time of Zionism”, which is held by Assoc. prof. Ph.D. sc. Boris Havel. Accordingly, the management did not even approve the said visit – they announced and added that professors have a certain autonomy, but that it is the practice to inform the faculty management about guest lectures.

– Faculty teachers have academic and professional freedom, but also the responsibility to organize guest lectures without the need for formal approval from the Administration, provided that guest lecturers contribute with their knowledge and expertise to the achievement of course goals and anticipated training outcomes, and do not in any way threaten the safety of students or the integrity of the Faculty. Furthermore, it is a good and usual practice to inform the Board, and especially the students, in a timely manner about the organization of guest lectures, in which the members of the Board are often invited to participate. That did not happen in this case. Assoc. prof. Dr. Boris Havel, as the organizer of the lecture, which was not announced to either the Management or the students, did not take into account the well-being of the students and the integrity of the institution where he works, nor the wider socio-political context. We are taken aback and unpleasantly surprised by the actions of our employee who put the Faculty and the students who attended the lecture in an unpleasant situation. The Faculty of Political Sciences is working to establish all the facts related to this event, which understandably upset employees and students. The administration of the Faculty of Political Sciences remains committed to preserving academic freedom, but above all to ensuring a safe environment for all its students and employees – they concluded.