Academics at Tel Aviv University: Public opinion is preoccupied with Gaza, which makes academia out of politicians’ priorities currently (Shutterstock)

A lengthy Haaretz investigation revealed the extent of the damage to Israeli higher education and scientific research since last year due to the war on Gaza and the judicial amendments before it, to the point that the sector is now facing almost complete hostility from the current government, which is trying to limit its budget, and not only for economic or ideological reasons as well.

In an investigation entitled “The State Will Not Survive...Government Attacks Weaken the Israeli Scientific Institution,” Haaretz wrote about what it called real threats facing the sector, which ended, for example, in the complete cessation of research at the “Volcani Institute for Agricultural Research” to the point that “every researcher continues his work with the means available to him.” "Everything in the laboratories and the main warehouse ran out," according to Dr. Drew Mintz.

The doctor, a researcher at the institute, described how he moved between laboratories to find plastic pots, saying, "These are things I hear from my colleagues in India. This is an insult. We are a well-known scientific empire and admired by the entire globe, but now we are like a beggar collecting alms at an intersection."

"The smell of politics"

Research at the Volcani Institute stopped after its budget (amounting to about $95 million) was reduced by 21%. However, it is not the only example, albeit the most prominent one. Members of the Council of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities and former heads of this body expressed in a strongly worded letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “Deeply concerned about the behavior of the current government,” which, according to them, may cause unprecedented harm to the scientific establishment and “the spirit and culture of Israel.”

Among other steps taken by the government, it reduced the budget of higher education institutions, which represent the base of all scientific research, by $163 million. It is now trying to control the Higher Education Council and is working to weaken the Planning and Budget Committee, which are two bodies whose mission is to preserve scientific research, academic freedom, and the quality of research and teaching. Not to mention decisions that failed to be implemented but were highly symbolic, such as Education Minister Yoav Kisch’s efforts - under the pretext of war - to cancel the “Israel Awards” that are presented in all fields, including scientific fields.

The letter from the Council of the Academy of Sciences and Humanities accused the government of seeking, since its inauguration, to interfere in scientific research, higher education bodies and cultural institutions "for unprofessional reasons that smack of politics."

The Council cited, as an example, attempts to control the “National Library,” as the government granted itself powers reserved to the Board of Directors of this body, such as the authority to appoint directors, not to mention the damage caused to international scientific cooperation due to the government’s policies during the crisis of judicial amendments and the current war.

"They are not worthy of us"

Prominent figures in the world of scientific research criticized what they described as ignorance, lack of professionalism, and greed expressed by government officials in mixed meetings, when issuing budget decisions, and in their attempt to control scientific centers, which, according to them, harms Israel’s capabilities based on its scientific capabilities.

Professor David Harel of the Weizmann Institute and President of the Academy of Sciences and Humanities told Haaretz newspaper, quoting Major General Dan Golfas, “I can say that this government, especially the ministers of finance and education, are not worthy of us, the people of the science and culture community,” before adding, “I spend half my time fighting this government.” ".

As for the Chairman of the Council of University Deans, Professor Ari Zaban (Dean of Bar-Ilan University), he reminded the Netanyahu government of the dangers of what it is doing with the research sector, saying, “Higher education is the basis for rebuilding Israel when the war ends.”

Professor Hagit Messer Yaron from Tel Aviv University and former head of the Research Department at the Ministry of Science says that investment in science and research is long-term, so politicians do not tend to favor this sector, and that “even if every MP and minister attests to the importance of education and innovation, politicians have their priorities and they prefer to serve their group.” "And their sector. Government-funded scientific research should not be governed by political agendas."

According to Professor Ariel Porat, President of Tel Aviv University, public opinion is preoccupied with Gaza and the North now, so discussions and decisions do not take the necessary time. He gave the example of Justice Minister Yariv Levin when he called for the necessity of “reforming” universities after completing the reform of the judicial system, a statement that was actually followed by an attempt to take control. The Higher Education Council should seek to appoint a vice-president of this body, for example, and seek to install a committee charged with reviewing the higher education budget led by the Ministers of Education and Budget. He said that all of this indicates the end of the independence of university education in Israel.

International boycott

Professor Porat adds that all of this indicates a lack of interest and misunderstanding of the consequences of these decisions, as well as strong hostility towards universities, “which are treated as if they were an opponent...which is related to the position towards the elites.”

Professor Porat points out another major harm caused by the government's behavior to the Israeli scientific establishment, which is the decline in its global standing, as not only individual members of the academic world are boycotting it (even if they are university deans or professors), but also entire academic institutions in the West are boycotting it, which is unprecedented.

Among these prominent institutions is Oslo Metropolitan University, which stopped student exchanges with Israel, or the Belgian University of Ghent, one of whose committees decided to suspend projects involving Israeli researchers, or even the Italian University of Turin, whose board of directors decided to boycott Israeli universities in general.

Professor Porat says that this hostility has made Israeli researchers fear for their chances of winning grants from international funds to finance research, and are reluctant to engage in international cooperation projects.

Obsession with survival

The concern is clearly evident in an opinion poll conducted last December that included 1,015 researchers, which showed that the desire to leave Israel jumped after the crisis of judicial reforms and the current war from 0.91 to 3.3 (on a scale of 10 degrees).

Professor Ruth Shirts-Shoval of the Weizmann Institute said, "The government ignores that those with education and higher education must remain in the country in order for Israel to emerge from its crisis."

In their interview with Haaretz, the researchers conveyed a picture full of contempt and lack of professionalism, which was evident, for example, in the government’s sponsorship of a draft resolution in which it attempted to exempt students who serve in the reserve forces from a third of the subjects prescribed for obtaining a university degree. These attempts were confronted by the Higher Education Council and ended with fewer concessions, but they were met with dissatisfaction. This was due to a fierce attack by Likud MP Khanoch Malbitsky.

وحمل ملبيتسكي في تصريح تلفزيوني على "الضمير الأكاديمي الذي يتيح في بعض الجامعات جوا يدعم الإرهاب ويسمح بانتشار معاداة السامية والعداء لإسرائيل.. وها هو يستكمل فعله الآن باستثناء جنود الاحتياط والجنود النظاميين من الدروس الجامعية ويشارك في الدعوات لمقاطعة إسرائيل من حول العالم".

ووصلت قلة المهنية هذه -مؤخرا- حد عدم اشتراط أي مؤهلات تعليمية لمنصب حساس شغَر في وزارة الصحة هو مدير أمن المعلومات.

ويقول البروفيسور هاغاي ليفين من الجامعة العبرية لصحيفة هآرتس "البعض في الحكومة يناصب المهنية العداء، لأنها تمنعه من خدمة مصالحه القِطاعية والضيقة".

نظام شعبوي

وتشبه هآرتس ما تفعله حكومة نتنياهو في علاقتها بالمجتمعات العلمية بما تفعله الأنظمة الشعبوية التي تميل إلى أن تصم بالعداء مجموعات معينة بدل الاستثمار في حلول حقيقية مثل ما اقترحه مجلس التعليم العالي والمتمثل في تخصيص تمويل حكومي يسمح للطلبة ممن التحقوا بالاحتياط باستكمال ما تخلف من دروس في سنة جامعية أخرى.

وقال البروفيسور آري زبان في جلسة نقاش بالكنيست "في لحظة انفعال، تقدمون حلا مؤقتا لخيرة شبابنا لكنكم تقضون على حياتهم، فالدراسات تظهر أن التسهيلات (أي إعفاء الطلبة ممن يقاتلون مع الجيش من ثلث المواد الدراسية) سيجعلهم يكسبون أجرا أقل بـ 20% طيلة حياتهم".

وتقول هآرتس إن العلاقة بين الشعبوية والمواقف المعادية للمؤسسات العلمية تناولتها بحوث كثيرة السنوات الأخيرة، أحدها مشروع تقوده الدكتورة نيلز مييدا من جامعة زيورخ ويشارك فيه باحثون من 59 بلدا لدراسة علاقة الشعبوية بقلة الثقة في العلوم.

وقالت الدكتورة نيلز ميدا لهآرتس "القادة الشعبويون لا يميلون بالضرورة إلى معارضة العلم عموما. لكن، هناك تضارب بين الشعبوية والمنهج العلمي الذي تنتجه نخبة اجتماعية صغيرة" وهو ما يجعل هذه الأنظمة تروج لسياسات تطعن في العلم، كالرئيس البرازيلي السابق بولسونارو الذي قلص موازنة البحث العلمي.

وأضافت الدكتورة نيلز أن إسرائيل حلت في المرتبة 35 عالميا من حيث الدعم الشعبي للسياسات الشعبوية المناوئة للعلم، وخلص الاستطلاع إلى أن السمة الغالبة على ممن ينتمون إلى هذه الفئة هي التدين والميل إلى تبني خط سياسي محافظ.

المصدر : هآرتس