Flames are rising in Gaza City, the central city of the Gaza Strip, following an Israeli airstrike on the 12th (local time)./AFP Yonhap News
As the Palestinian armed faction Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, a university lecturer in Switzerland was fired after posting a post defending it on social media.
According to local media such as Swiss Info on the 17th (local time), the University of Bern in Switzerland dismissed without notice a lecturer who wrote positive comments about Hamas attacks.
In an official press release, the University of Bern said, “We are faced with an unprecedented event that has triggered an enormous public reaction,” and that controversial posts on X (formerly Twitter) are unacceptable. He added, “Our university condemns all forms of violence or actions that support it.”
The instructor who wrote the article in question is known to be affiliated with the Institute for Middle East Studies and Muslim Societies. Detailed information, including his name, has not been revealed.
The instructor was found to have written on X, “The Hamas attack was the best gift I received before my birthday.” In another post, he was found to have written the words “Shabbat Shalom (Sabbath of Peace)” along with a video of a Hamas attack. The media reported that the posts were deleted after controversy arose.
The University of Bern announced that in addition to dismissing this instructor, it will also conduct an external evaluation of the institute’s management. Serena Tolino, co-director of the institute, has been removed from her duties during the investigation.
The Bern Prosecutor’s Office is investigating whether the instructor can be held criminally responsible for this incident.
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2023-10-17 22:32:18
