Left-Wing Activist Criticizes Threat to Defund Elite West Bank Pre-Military Academy

Uri Zaki, a left-wing activist, has publicly opposed the threat by Democratic Party chairman Yair Golan to cut funding for the Ali pre-military academy in the West Bank. Zaki, who previously visited the academy and described his encounter with its students as one of the most memorable lectures he ever gave, recalled a deep and meaningful discussion that lasted over three hours. He noted that two of the students from that session later died in the October 7 war.

Zaki emphasized that Ali is considered the flagship institution of the national-religious community and that closing it would be seen as a provocation by many in that sector. However, he also sharply criticized the academy for controversial statements made by its rabbis against women, LGBTQ individuals, and even himself. Despite these issues, Zaki argued that shutting down the academy is not the appropriate response.

He suggested that since the academy receives state funding, it is reasonable to demand that it refrain from hateful rhetoric and that oversight be implemented. He stressed that there is a significant difference between such regulation and the threat of closure. Zaki’s comments come amid a political storm following Golan’s declaration that any government he participates in will stop funding institutions like Ali that, according to him, promote racism, homophobia, and oppose women’s service in the Israel Defense Forces.