On March 28, 2022, off-duty police studying at Hebrew University of Jerusalem detained two Palestinian students listening to or singing Arabic music on campus.

The two students were reportedly singing along to music in Arabic when they were approached by off-duty police officers who summoned additional police officers. They reportedly claimed the students were singing “Jihadi music,” expelled them from campus and arrested them. The Palestinian students were reportedly interrogated for several hours and banned from campus for six days.

While the two students appealed the ban, the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court ultimately upheld the ban.

Scholars at Risk is concerned by the arbitrary arrest of students and a temporary ban on their access to campus. State and university authorities have a responsibility to refrain from restricting students’ nonviolent expressive activity. Efforts to restrict students’ nonviolent campus expression undermine academic freedom and democratic society generally.

Sources:
https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/editorial/israel-s-universities-are-for-students-not-cops-or-soldiers-1.10715450
https://www.palestinechronicle.com/two-palestinian-students-detained-for-listening-to-arabic-music-in-jerusalem/
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220331-palestinian-students-detained-suspended-from-hebrew-university-for-singing-traditional-folk-songs/
https://english.wafa.ps/Pages/Details/128607