Adalah Report Alleges 'Apartheid in Academia' Against Arab Students Post-Oct. 7

A report released by Adalah, the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, claims that Israeli higher education institutions have implemented discriminatory disciplinary policies against Arab students since the October 7th Hamas attacks. The report, titled "Apartheid in Israeli Academia: Arab Students After October 7, 2023," alleges that these policies have created two separate tracks: a stricter one for Arab students, many of whom are Israeli citizens, and a more lenient one for Jewish students.

The report, authored by Adalah attorneys Lobna Toma, Adi Mansour, and Mai Diab, and edited by Dr. Fadi Khoury, reviewed disciplinary proceedings against Arab students at approximately 40 academic institutions. These proceedings were often initiated due to posts on students' private social media accounts. Adalah states that international supporters contributed nearly one million shekels to fund legal representation for dozens of students involved in these cases, with the Galilee Foundation providing support for the report's creation.

According to Adalah, Haifa University was among the first to suspend Arab students on October 8, 2023, less than 24 hours after the Hamas attack. Adalah claims this decision was made by the university's then-rector without prior proceedings, based on social media posts. The report details that by mid-October, a pattern emerged of immediate suspensions, disciplinary actions, and the labeling of student posts as support for terrorism or identification with the Hamas attack. Adalah received 132 inquiries from students at nearly 40 institutions, which it describes as "widespread suppression of freedom of expression for Palestinian students in Israel."

The report indicates that 76% of students facing disciplinary action were young Palestinian women. Adalah provided legal representation or consultation to 100 of those who inquired. In over 80 cases, temporary suspensions were allegedly imposed before any hearing took place. Twenty students were permanently expelled or suspended for one to five years. In some appealed cases, decisions were overturned or penalties significantly reduced.

Adalah links these actions to political pressure from government figures, including the Minister of Education, who called for swift disciplinary measures. The report also claims that in several instances, institutions reported students to the police, leading to arrests. The types of content that triggered complaints or proceedings were diverse, including criticism of government policy, the IDF, or the war in Gaza; references to the October 7th attack; sharing news about the humanitarian situation in Gaza; Quranic verses and prayers; and symbols of Palestinian identity. Adalah asserts that even a "like" on a post, displaying a Palestinian flag, or a prayer for Gazans were sufficient grounds for action.

The core of Adalah's argument is that the burden of proof has shifted, requiring students to prove their posts do not support terrorism, rather than the institution proving misconduct. Adalah claims institutions have extended their authority to private posts unrelated to studies, primarily for Arab students, while refraining from similar actions against Jewish students posting racist or inciting content. The organization concludes that Israeli academia has transformed from regulating study-related conduct to monitoring private expression and dictating which expressions of Palestinian identity, religion, solidarity, or political criticism are legitimate.

Haifa University responded to the report, calling it "partial, biased, and very inaccurate." The university stated that proceedings against suspended students followed disciplinary regulations and that students were represented by lawyers. They added that in a mediation process overseen by a retired judge, two students were expelled, five apologized and performed community service, and two were acquitted. The Ministry of Education referred inquiries to the Council for Higher Education, which declined to comment.