Dr. George Wise, who resigned Monday as president of Tel Aviv University in a policy dispute with rector Benzion Katz, left today for a two-week visit to the United States, insisting his resignation was final.
Prof. Katz said he had no plans to resign but refused any comment on the resignations of Dr. Wise and other high university officials. Dr. Wise confirmed reports that Premier Levi Eshkol and Finance Minister Pinhas Sapir sought to persuade him to stay. It was understood also that Tel Aviv’s Mayor Mordechai Namir, who is chairman of the university executive board, hoped to work out a compromise to the dispute which would enable Dr. Wise to remain president.
Dr. Wise said of the dispute: “Whenever I had to leave Israel on official business, I returned to face a fait accompli in decisions taken by Dr. Katz during my absence in contradiction to my policies.” Dr. Katz reportedly favors a small-size university devoted to academic pursuits, while Dr. Wise has sought to expand the university and diversify its faculties.
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