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Ben Gurion UniversityBen Gurion University – Not every form of speech is protected at BGUHis answer came from Faye Bittker, director of BGU’s Department of Public Relations and Media Relations, who was outraged that Prof Levitt not only believes homosexuality is “a hindrance, defect, deficiency, and an urge that can be treated and overcome,” but that he also refused to apologize for his convictions. … Small wonder BGU decided immediately, “on the basis of academic considerations alone,” to cancel the course. Prof Steven Plaut, who teaches economics at the University of Haifa and heads Israel’s CampusWatch, a monitoring organization, has been following Prof Levitt’s case. “Now if Levitt had called for murdering all Israeli Jews or said that Jews drink gentile blood for Passover, that would have been protected speech,” said Prof Plaut. The Legal Forum for the Land of Israel has taken up Prof Levitt’s case and says the next stop will be the Supreme Court.
http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com/pdf/201007.pdf (page 5) .http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com Av 5769 The Jewish Voice and Opinion Page - 5 The Current Crisis: “Even in Laughter, the Heart Can Ache” S.L.R In the Democratic state of Israel last month, Ben Gurion University fired a professor for voicing his opinion that children raised by homosexual parents could be harmed developmentally and that, in any case, sexual inclinations can be restrained. Prof Yeruham Levitt had been teaching a course on medical ethics for pharmacological students. Several weeks ago, the topic was fertilization methods for homosexual couples. A young female student expressed concern for the development of children raised by homosexual parents. An openly homosexual student objected to her point. When Prof Levitt intervened, he said he, too, would be concerned about the children, especially their ability to lead normal family lives. He also maintained that sexual inclinations can be restrained. After the class, some students complained to the school’s administration and Prof Levitt was summoned to a hearing. He defended himself by explaining that it is acceptable for a lecturer to express his opinion in classes on ethics. Nevertheless, the head of the BGU School of Pharmacology, Prof Riad Agbariya, fired him. Another BGU lecturer, Dr. Neve Gordon, head of the Dept of Politics and Government, still teaches there even though he called for a political, economic, and academic boycott of Israel. When BGU supporters complained about Dr. Gordon’s presence at BGU, the school’s rector, Prof Jimmy Weinblatt, said, “We live in a democratic country in which there is freedom of expression for all, even for those whose opinions are not appreciated by all.” Arthur Goldberg, the NJ-based founder of the group Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality (JONAH) and the author of Light in the Closet: Torah, Homosexuality, and the Power to Change, wrote to BGU, expressing his concerns about the story. His answer came from Faye Bittker, director of BGU’s Department of Public Relations and Media Relations, who was outraged that Prof Levitt not only believes homosexuality is “a hindrance, defect, deficiency, and an urge that can be treated and overcome,” but that he also refused to apologize for his convictions. Clarifying what he meant by sexual restraint, Prof Levitt said he was attracted to all the females in the class, but, he said, he contains his urges. Thus, he told his students, people can “control themselves and overcome defects and urges.” According to Ms. Bittker, with these remarks, Prof Levitt sealed his doom. Not only had he insulted homosexuals, he had agitated the women in his class. “The females said they found this insulting and were hurt, and one of the females even added that she found it difficult to sit in the class and concentrate after these things were said,” reported Ms. Bittker. Small wonder BGU decided immediately, “on the basis of academic considerations alone,” to cancel the course. Prof Steven Plaut, who teaches economics at the University of Haifa and heads Israel’s CampusWatch, a monitoring organization, has been following Prof Levitt’s case. “Now if Levitt had called for murdering all Israeli Jews or said that Jews drink gentile blood for Passover, that would have been protected speech,” said Prof Plaut. The Legal Forum for the Land of Israel has taken up Prof Levitt’s case and says the next stop will be the Supreme Court. Stay tuned-and stay cool.
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