Hebrew University professor Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of incitement, according to Israeli media. She was brought to the Harel police station in Mevaseret Zion.
She was transferred to the crime-fighting unit for investigation to decide whether she would be kept in custody or if she would be released. They are also determining if she is released, what kind of conditions she should be released under.
The lecturer had accused Israel of genocide in Gaza and also denied the sexual abuse crimes committed by Hamas terrorists during the October 7 massacre.
According to Kan 11, the Israel Police asked the prosecutor’s office at the beginning of April to approve a criminal investigation against Shalhoub-Kevorkian on suspicion of incitement.
The Chairman of the National Union of Students, Elhanan Fellheimer, supported the arrest of the University professor, saying that they hope that her “arrest will mark a new way of handling the whole issue of incitement in academia and incitement against Israel in general.” She added that students have been asking for a long time to stop the incitement.
Initially, she had been suspended from her position at Hebrew University in March; however, after she apologized and clarified that sexual abuse did indeed occur on October 7, she was reinstated.
The University had stated in a letter at the time, “The Hebrew University strongly condemns Prof. Shalhoub-Kevorkian’s recent shocking and outrageous statements. The university’s leadership reiterates its previous call for Prof. Shalhoub-Kevorkian to seek an academic home aligned with her positions,” the letter noted.
Politicians respond to professor’s arrest
MK Ofer Kasif responded to her arrest on X, formerly Twitter, claiming that the professor did not deny the October 7 massacre nor deny the sexual crimes committed by the terrorist organization. He said, “Her statement that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza is a legitimate, not to say correct, statement that would only be considered forbidden in a dictatorial regime. Her arrest is another layer in the fascist persecution and the brutal silencing of the opponents of the massacre in Gaza and the peace seekers.” He added, “I’m with you! Truth and justice will prevail!”
משטרת בן גביר עצרה את פרופ’ נאדרה שלהוב-קיבורקיאן אך ורק בגלל התבטאויות. למען הסר ספק: פרופ’ שלהוב-קיבורקיאן לא הכחישה את הטבח ולא הטילה ספק בפשעי המין שביצע חמאס (וגם אם כן היתה עושה זאת, אין בכך מן הפלילי). דבריה כי ישראל מבצעת רצח עם בעזה הם אמירה לגיטימית, שלא לומר נכונה, שרק…
— Ofer Cassif עופר כסיף عوفر كسيف (@ofercass) April 18, 2024
Ahmad Tibi, leader of the Arab Knesset party Hadash-Ta’al, voiced his opposition to her arrest on X. He said, “But those settlers who murdered two Palestinians are not being investigated, and the rabbis who incite to murder Arabs are embraced. Those who paved the way for this investigation are the Hebrew University administration, with its shameful and fearful conduct.”
אבל את המתנחלים שרצחו שני פלסטינים לא חוקרים, את הרבנים שמסיתים לרצח ערבים מחבקים . מי שסלל את הדרך לחקירה הזו היא הנהלת האוניברסיטה העברית בהתנהלותה המביכה והפחדנית. https://t.co/HQp5AbBPJW
— Ahmad Tibi (@Ahmad_tibi) April 18, 2024
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir commented in support of Shalhoub-Kevorkian’s arrest and said, “Congratulations to the police for the arrest of professor Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian who incited against the State of Israel. This arrest conveys an important message – those who incite against the State of Israel will not be able to cover themselves under a position or title.” MK Almog Cohen and MK Limor Son Har-Melech, both members of the right-wing party Otzmah Yehudit, agreed.
On October 29, 2023, Hebrew University issued a letter condemning Shalhoub-Kevorkian’s “alignment with a petition characterizing Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocidal and labeling it an occupying force since 1948. The university management suggested that she consider resigning from her position at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.”
However, she did not resign. The previous week, the professor said on a podcast titled Makdisi Street that the State of Israel is “dishonest,” adding, “They will use everything to kill further. It’s a killing machine, a necropolitical machine that can survive only on the erasure of Palestinians.”
“They will use any lie. They started with babies, they continued with rape, and they will continue with a million other lies.”
“Every day with another story, we stop believing them. I hope the world will stop believing them.” She also cast doubt on the October 7 massacre, saying, “If things like this happened.”
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