Ben Gurion University Lecturer Faces Calls for Dismissal Over Anti-IDF Remarks

Dr. Sebastian Ben Daniel, a lecturer at Ben Gurion University in Beersheba, is facing renewed calls for his dismissal following a series of inflammatory posts on social media platform X, formerly Twitter. In his posts, Ben Daniel referred to IDF soldiers as "the most dangerous child murderers" in the West Bank and claimed that "20,000 children massacred in Gaza by IDF officers will testify that your theory did not move from theory to practice." He also stated that the correct framing of an incident near Havat Gilad, where two Israelis were killed and four Palestinians subsequently died, is that "IDF soldiers murdered four Palestinians."

This is not the first time Ben Daniel's anti-IDF statements have caused controversy. He was previously suspended by the university for certain remarks but has since returned to teaching. His recent comments were made in response to posts by Yaya Fink, a candidate from the Democratic Party and an IDF reservist.

The "Im Tirtzu" movement has joined the demand for his dismissal, stating that "every day that the president of Ben Gurion University continues to employ the inciting lecturer Ben Daniel is a stain on the university's name. A disgrace." The university has not yet issued a response.

In August, Beersheba City Council member Yair Shoshan had previously called on Mayor Rubik Daniilovich to renounce an honorary degree he received from Ben Gurion University in 2018, also due to Ben Daniel's anti-IDF statements. Shoshan's public letter referenced Ben Daniel's past controversial remarks against IDF soldiers, Beersheba residents, and the religious-national public.