ly to the dean of students. An investigation was begun and evi- br

dence gathered, but no disciplinary action was taken. The ad- br

ministration explained to the Jewish students that its primary br

role was to lessen tensions and preserve the delicate relationship br

between Arab and Jewish students. This declaration brought br

forth predictable results.

Within two weeks the Arab students were involved in yet br

another incident. Israel commemorates, annually, the terrible br

Holocaust that ripped away the lives of six million Jews. Known br

as the Day of the Holocaust and the Bravery, it was com- br

memorated at Hebrew University by the lighting of memorial br

candles at the entrance of the dormitories. That night a band of br

Arab students smashed the glasses that held the candles. Even br

as an investigation was launched, the next week—Memorial br

Day for the fallen soldiers of Israel—saw similar desecrations of br

candles in their memory. Angry protests led to a decision by a br

university committee to suspend the students, but the university br

administration in a “gesture of goodwill” accepted the appeal br

against the “harshness” of the verdict and allowed the students br

to return to the benches of Israeli intellect. Not for nothing did br

the Arab students see in this retreat further proof of Jewish br

weakness. (It is pertinent to note that on Holocaust Day, 1980, br

more memorial candles were desecrated. One Arab student, Sul- br

iman Hasham, caught as he extinguished one of the lights, said: br

“There is enough light in the dormitories. We do not need br

candles.”)

The pitiful weakness of the Hebrew University administra- br

tion under President Avraham Harman inexorably led to br

greater brazenness on the part of the Arab students. During the br

latter part of 1974, terrorist activity reached a peak, and worried br

university officials met with the student organization to set up br

regular guard duty in the exposed dormitories. It was decided br

that all students who lived in the dormitories—including Arabs br

—would have to take a turn at guard duty. The Arab student br

organization immediately issued a statement that read: “No br

Arab student will participate in any activity aimed at a brother br

fedayon [“freedom fighter,” the Arab term for the PLO ter- br

rorists], even if this refusal involves self-sacrifice—if this must br

be the price of the Palestinian revolution.”

At a press conference called by the Arab students on De- br