TAU students protest employment of former minister convicted of indecent assault
Haim Ramon was convicted of forcibly kissing a young female soldier.
By TAMARA ZIEVEUpdated: JUNE 1, 2018 20:46Haim Ramon(photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Students at Tel Aviv University are protesting the employment of former health minister Haim Ramon, who was convicted of indecent conduct in 2007 for forcibly kissing a female soldier.Channel 10 reported Wednesday night that students involved in a group for the advancement of women called “Tel Aviviot” (women from Tel Aviv) heard about the university’s intention to employ Ramon as a lecturer and sent a letter of protest to the university’s management demanding that they rescind the arrangement.“It is inconceivable that a person convicted of an indecent act against a young woman, and who even defamed her as part of a publicity campaign that accompanied the legal case against him, will now teach young women, university students,” the students said in their letter. “The employment of a sex offender by the university constitutes a clear position of support for this person and conveys a message to the public that Tel Aviv University supports sex offenders and encourages putting them in positions of authority.”Ramon is due to teach a course called “Authority without responsibility, responsibility without authority” as a class for political science students about state decision-making.In a response sent to The Jerusalem Post, Ramon said that he intended to sue all those connected to the letter for libel for using the term “sex offender,” unless they apologize.“The Magistrate’s Court held that the event which was the subject of my trial ‘does not indicate that we are dealing with a sex offender or a person with a criminal pattern,’ he said, noting that the court did not find moral turpitude in his actions and ruled that he could continue working in public life.He added that a High Court of Justice judge had ruled that the incident was “an expression of momentary human weakness...which does not reflect inherent moral faults.” He also cited a hearing in the High Court regarding his return to the government, in which Judge Edna Arbel ruled that Ramon is “not to be seen as a sex offender.”“The libel letter is an attempt by an extremist feminist group to terrorize the Tel Aviv University authorities,” Ramon charged, also stating that he had done nothing wrong before or since the incident with the soldier.Tel Aviv University said: “Haim Ramon was invited to give several lectures about decision- making in the framework of a course at Tel Aviv University. Mr Ramon served his sentence and paid his debt to society.”Ramon was sentenced to 100 hours of community service.
