Oslo Metropolitan University in Norway has decided to freeze the student exchange program with the University of Haifa.
President of Haifa University Prof Ron Rubin said “Oslo Metropolitan University’s decision to stop the student exchange program with Haifa University is no different from a decision on an academic boycott and we condemn it.”
“Academic institutions that choose to boycott and cancel other institutions, that involve politics and science, are sinning against the academic truth and will ultimately cause harm to themselves. I am convinced that this will happen in this case as well and I call on the members of the board to withdraw from their delusional decision.”
“The University of Haifa is an example and model for the common life of Jews and Arabs, members of all religions and all sectors, in the State of Israel. Perhaps this is the reason for the great fear of the university captains to send young students here. Lest when they get here they will discover a common life, Jews and Arabs living together, studying together, researching together. So far from the “apartheid” lies that can only be told by those who do not know and know what the University of Haifa is and what the State of Israel is”
“Perhaps they are afraid that the students here with us will open up a more complex position to reality, maybe even sympathy or empathy for the Israeli story as well… We at the University of Haifa will continue to create the Israeli story and will continue to reach out to academic institutions around the world – at least to those who put the values of truth and science at the forefront of their minds” said Rubin.
