This week, a professor at the University of Bern was dismissed after publishing messages on X praising the attacks on Israelis by Hamas, reported RTS.
On Tuesday, the university announced its decision to terminate the professor’s employment, describing the incident as unacceptable while underlining that it condemns all forms of violence. In addition, the university launched an administrative enquiry covering the whole department of middle east studies.
According to the newspaper 20 Minutes, which revealed the incident, tweets in Arabic published on 7 October 2023 praised the attacks by Hamas in southern Israel, describing them as the best birthday present ever received. In another tweet the individual responded to a Hamas video with the words “Shabbat Shalom”, a Hebrew salutation wishing someone a good weekend or religious celebration. The tweets have since been deleted.
The university said that it was an unprecedented case with an enormous impact on public opinion. The management said it was treating the affair very seriously.
The incident could also be a crime. Bern’s public prosecutor is examining the facts to see if they constitute a criminal offence. However, the examination is not yet complete.
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RTS article (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
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