Uzy Raby, a history professor at Tel Aviv University, has made controversial statements advocating for the starvation and extermination of civilians in northern Gaza who do not follow Israeli army orders to evacuate south. His extreme views have sparked outrage and drawn comparisons to war crimes.
Other Middle Eastern scholars, like Assaf David, have criticized Raby and his ilk for promoting aggressive and militant policies that exceed even the tendencies of Israel’s military establishment. Some academics have supported plans for forcibly displacing and starving civilians, raising concerns of ethnic cleansing and genocide.
These extreme positions have been echoed by other prominent figures in Israeli academia, such as Dr. Harel Chorev and Professor Eyal Zisser, who have called for military actions and even nuclear strikes against perceived enemies like Iran. The growing radicalization in Israeli Middle East studies has led to a dehumanization campaign against Palestinians, Arabs, and Muslims.
Despite some dissenting voices, Israeli academia has largely failed to counter the government’s narrative and has faced criticism for its lack of critical perspective on military actions in Gaza. The suppression of non-mainstream voices within universities further underscores the concerning trend of militarization and extremism in academic discourse.