A letter sent by the Open University leadership to the faculty, all employees, and all students

Shalom to the Open University community,

We feel a moral, institutional, and national obligation to turn to you, raise our voice and warn against the threat to Israeli democracy and Israeli academia. In recent weeks we have witnessed the accelerated promotion of a legal reform that is expected to fundamentally change the system of checks and balances between the State authorities. The rules are being changed at a rapid pace, without dialogue or any attempt to form a broad consensus – as required by moves that reshape the democratic basis of the State of Israel and society in Israel.

Furthermore, the reform is promoted while trampling and ignoring the academic knowledge accumulated in the fields of law, history, political science, economics and other fields. The legal storm that is raging upon us threatens to destroy the deepest foundations of Israel. The legislation will allow constant erosion of the foundations of democracy, civil rights, justice and the integrity of government. An independent and strong judicial system is also a condition for maintaining academic freedom – the basis for our ability to research, innovate, challenge conventions and criticize the systems of society and the state.

The Open University is founded on a constant pursuit of making higher education accessible and on the aspiration to provide an equal opportunity to acquire quality higher education for everyone who desires it. We fear that the legal changes will harm human rights – and in particular the right to equality and freedom of expression – in a way that may make it particularly difficult for the Open University to fulfill its national mission.

The Open University is the academic home of senior faculty members, teaching staff, administrative staff and students and all of us together faithfully represent all the nuances of Israeli society. It is clear to us that there are also many in our community who think differently or differently from us. We call for a respectful and tolerant discourse on every subject, and in particular on the subject of legal reform, out of respect for the expression of any position. In the spirit of patience, equality and openness of the Open University, we call on the State of Israel’s leadership to lead a process of dialogue and to form a broad consensus on the basic legal principles that shape Israel’s democratic structure.

Sincerely,

Dorit Beinisch, Chancellor, Former President of the Supreme Court of Israel
Prof. Mimi Ajzenstadt, President
Prof. Guy Miron, Vice President for academic affairs
Dr. Uri Yaron, Chairman of the Open University of Israel
Ruth Shoham, Director General