‘Full cooperation’: How Tel Aviv University serves Israel’s security state
Israeli soldiers stand by as Palestinian and Jewish activists take part in a rally marking Nakba Day, outside Tel Aviv University, 14 May 2018
Meron Rapoport and Aharon Porath report in +972 on 30 July 2026:
After Hila Ben David finished performing John Lennon’s “Imagine” at Tel Aviv University’s doctoral graduation ceremony on July 16, the stage was handed over to Brig. Gen. (res.) Dr. Danny Gold, head of the Defense Ministry’s Directorate of Defense Research and Development. Gold, a TAU alum who earned all his academic degrees there, had returned to his alma mater to address the graduating class.
In a lecture titled “Turning Vision into Security,” Gold showcased Israeli weapons systems alongside footage of missile launchers, air-defense interceptions, and Israeli airstrikes on trucks in the heart of Tehran. Slides promoting major Israeli defense contractors Elbit Systems and Rafael, as well as smaller private firms like SMART (“Lethality and precision for fighters”) and UNIQAI (“AI for mission planning”) flashed across the screen.
About seven minutes into the presentation, the ceremony was interrupted by indistinct shouting, scattered applause, and booing. Several graduates and family members walked out, among them Dr. Jad Ka’dan, who had just received his doctorate in cultural studies and was one of 17 Palestinian students awarded doctoral degrees by the university that year.
“When [the university] brings in Dr. Gold and you’re suddenly seeing videos of missile launches, air raid sirens, and the bombing of Tehran, you realize they’re treating you with contempt — they’re trying to humiliate you,” he told +972 Magazine and Local Call. Ka’dan, who completed his postdoctoral fellowship in California, found the celebration of Israel’s defense industry particularly dizzying. “[Across the world] people are talking about BDS, and you’re showing us videos like this? I am ashamed to say that this is what they show here,” he said.