Arab students holding an orderly demonstration on the Hebrew University campus today refused to be provoked by threats of violence from a small group of right-wing Jewish students who were apparently trying to precipitate a clash over the refusal of Arab students to stand guard duty in the dormitories. Cooler heads prevailed among the Jewish student body but the Arab students, although they failed to win their point on guard duty, clearly emerged the “heroes” of the incident by not succumbing to provocation.
The three-hour demonstration, addressed by Arab student leaders, was held to protest the expulsion of two Arab students and the imminent expulsion of eight others who have refused, as a matter of conscience, to stand guard duty with their Jewish dorm-mates. The Arab students demand exemption from guard duty on grounds that Israeli Arabs are exempt from military service in Israel’s armed forces. They said guard duty was “duty of a security nature” which their conscience forbade them to participate in since it is ultimately directed against other Arabs.
When the issue first came up last month, Arab students contended that if they participated in guard duty they would be charged by Palestinian militants as Israeli collaborators, and that if a terrorist attack occurred while they were on guard duty the Israelis would hold them responsible. The Arab students have offered to do alternative duties, such as standing first aid shifts, but the university authorities rejected the offer, insisting that guard duty is an obligation of all students and was not of a security nature.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
