After protests, Hebrew University reaches low-profile deal with convicted sex offender

Following student protests and public criticism, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has reached an agreement with student Tal Rosenblit, who was convicted of sexual harassment and distributing intimate images of his former partner. Under the deal, Rosenblit will stop coming to campus, while the university will allow him to complete his academic obligations remotely.

The dispute escalated after N12 published a weekend interview with Rosenblit’s ex-partner, Naomi. Female students began protesting him and the administration, saying he had continued attending classes in musicology and history because he has not yet begun serving his sentence. They hung signs around campus quoting the interview, staged protests at the university, and confronted him in class, saying they wanted to shame him the way he had shamed his former partner and force him to stop coming.

The students told N12 they feared having a convicted sex offender sitting next to them in class and accused the university of doing too little. In response, the administration held talks both with the protesting students and with Rosenblit, saying that under the law it could not strip him of his right to continue studying. The university said it reached the arrangement to calm tensions and restore a sense of security for students, and that Rosenblit has stopped coming in recent weeks, including for volunteer activity on campus.

One of the protest leaders, student Ozar Nasya, said, “We do not feel safe because he can come back if he wants. We are relying on the good will of a convicted offender.” She added that the student dean did what he could academically, but she expected the university to do more institutionally and also take legal action. The university declined to comment on individual agreements, but said it would continue ensuring student safety. Rosenblit was sentenced two months ago to 20 months in prison, six months suspended for three years, and NIS 10,000 compensation to Naomi after admitting the charges in a plea deal. He is due to begin serving his sentence in early July, and last month he appealed the ruling to the Jerusalem District Court and requested a stay of execution, with no decision yet.