Israeli Education Minister Demands Probe Into Open University Ban on Channel 14 as Academic Source

Israeli Education Minister Yoav Kisch has called on the Open University president, Prof. Leo Kori, to investigate claims that students were instructed not to use Channel 14 as a source in a public policy course. The directive reportedly came from university management, not individual lecturers, and allowed other media outlets as academic sources while excluding Channel 14. Kisch described this as a serious issue, warning it raises concerns about political bias infiltrating academic teaching. He emphasized that academia should equip students to critically assess diverse information sources rather than pre-approve or ban specific media. Kisch demanded the university clarify whether this policy is official, the academic basis for it, and if confirmed, to revoke it immediately to ensure political considerations do not influence educational content. As of now, the Open University has not responded to the minister's letter.