Professor Chaim Ganz of the university's Minerva Center for Human Rights wrote to the Law School's Dean that "Sharvit-Baruch's interpretation of the law... allowed the army to act in ways that constitute potential war crimes" adding that Sharvit-Baruch "harms Israel's values system."
Another law professor at Tel Aviv University, Dr. Anat Matar, said, "I was shocked to learn that half of the second-year law students will learn the foundations of law from someone who helped justify the killing of civilians, including hundreds of children."
Amidst the brouhaha, Sharvit-Baruch's predecessor, Col. (res.) Daniel Reisner, who was interviewed for the Haaretz report claimed in the Jerusalem Post that the quotes were innacurate and that he was considering suing the paper for libel.
In addition, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert came to Sharvit-Baruch's defense, calling the protesting professors "self-righteous sanctimonious hypocrites." Olmert even suggested that if the University cancel the appointment it could lose state funding."In my opinion, any university that disqualifies lecturers on such grounds, before an examination [of their service] has been concluded, is not suitable to receive funding from the Israeli government," Olmert said.
Apparently, the attacks and defenses mattered little as Law School Dean Hanoch Dagan wrote in a letter that "[a]t no point did the faculty even consider cancelling Pnina Sharvit-Baruch's appointment."
For more information see:
- IDF Lawyer Who Okayed Gaza Bombs to Teach at TAU Despite Protest (Arutz Sheva, Feb. 1, 2009)
- Lecturers say IDF officer who justified Gaza strikes should not teach law (Haaretz, Jan. 29, 2009)
- Olmert: No funding for bodies that refuse to employ officers (Haaretz, Feb. 2, 2009)
- Olmert calls opponents of IDF legal expert's posting 'hypocrites' (Jerusalem Post, Feb. 2, 2009)
