The Letter (H)
The University: This demand stands, but there is no overall policy mandating character references for Arab visitors to enter the University.
Adalah: The discriminatory directives must be cancelled.
The Hebrew University in Jerusalem has conditioned the entry of Arab visitors to the University on the presentation of a “character references,” based on their criminal record, according to an email received by the Alternative Information Center (AIC) last week. The AIC, which planned to host a publications stand at Hebrew University for the opening of the academic year, was informed of this policy and asked to provide character references for Arab activists from the organization who were supposed to work in the stall.
The AIC received this demand from the “Intilict” Company, which was approached by the Students’ Union of the Hebrew University regarding the AIC’s request. The company is responsible for issues involving stalls of publications and products at the University. The email stated that: “Each participant who will enter the Hebrew University and who is a minority member is required to present a character reference.” A representative of the Intilict Company informed the AIC that the matter concerns directives from the Hebrew University itself. According to the AIC, a telephone inquiry to the security unit of Hebrew University, revealed that there are actually directives which condition the entry of an Arab individual to the University, and not any other person, on the presentation of a character reference.
On behalf of the AIC, Adalah Attorney Abeer Baker sent a letter to Ameed al-Talabi, the Dean of the Hebrew University, Prof. Isti Shahami, who teaches at the University, and the University’s security department, demanding that the directives be cancelled. Adalah argued in the letter that these directives constitute blatant racial discrimination, which is a grave violation of law.
An institution of higher learning, such as the Hebrew University, which also provides services to the general public, is bound, as well to the Prohibition of Discrimination in Products, Services and Entry into Places of Entertainment and Public Places Law (2000). Further, Adalah emphasized that there is no law which authorizes the University to condition the entry of a person to its campus on the presentation of a character reference. Therefore, these racist and discriminatory directives were issued without any authority and must be cancelled, Adalah concluded.
On 26 October 2006, the Legal Advisor to Hebrew University stated in response to Adalah’s letter that the University, “Continues to demand character references in certain circumstances, according to the considerations of the security authorities. However, there is no overall policy or orders demanding character references from minority members.” The Legal Advisor further indicated that the “Intilict” Company is not authorized to issue directives in the name of the University.
Entry to the Hebrew University must be granted without discrimination based on race or any other “suspect class” categorization of individuals. To date, contrary to the claim of the University’s Legal Advisor, only Arab individuals have been asked to produce character references in order to the enter the campus. This practice is racist and discriminatory and Adalah will continue to follow-up with the issue in order to cancel these directives.