Picture: Yonatan Zindel/Flash90

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — An investigation has been launched into Issa Ghrayeb, a lecturer at Jerusalem’s Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, following a report by Israel’s Channel 14 alleging that he made a series of statements sharply critical of the State of Israel and the Israel Defense Forces.

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Ghrayeb, an Israeli citizen born in Nazareth who studied at Bezalel before joining its faculty, is at the center of allegations stemming from material published in Germany. According to the report, Ghrayeb has referred to Israeli cities—including Nazareth, Haifa and Jerusalem—as being located in “Palestine” and has described IDF soldiers as “Israeli occupation forces.”

The revelations have raised questions about the responsibilities of a publicly funded Israeli academic institution toward its students and the broader public. Beyond his social media activity, Ghrayeb recently received a prestigious artist’s fellowship from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), where he was reportedly presented as being from the “Palestinian territories.”

According to the report, inquiries with the German organization found that, in his self-declared application, Ghrayeb listed his place of residence as “East Jerusalem and Ramallah,” despite being an Israeli citizen born and raised in Nazareth.

The German report also alleged that on October 17, 2023, just ten days after the October 7 Hamas attack and before Israel launched its ground operation in Gaza, Ghrayeb published a call to stop what he described as Israel’s “genocide” against Palestinians, without mentioning the Hamas-led massacre.

The opening of the investigation follows concerns that Ghrayeb’s actions, including his alleged denial of Israel’s legitimacy and his criticism of the Israeli military while serving as a lecturer at a state-funded academic institution, may go beyond the bounds of legitimate conduct.

Authorities are now examining whether Bezalel’s administration was aware of Ghrayeb’s public statements over the years and how the institution has addressed allegations that one of its faculty members has publicly described Israeli cities as part of “Palestine.”

The case has also renewed debate over the extent of academic freedom and the responsibility of publicly funded institutions when faculty members make controversial political statements in public forums.