Jerusalem police on Thursday arrested Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, a professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, after she called into question atrocities committed by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7.
Shalhoub-Kevorkian, a dual Israeli-U.S. national, last month accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza and questioned reports of rape and other sexual crimes during the terror group’s cross-border attack.
These statements led to her arrest at her residence on Thursday, where police also confiscated her computer and photographs of Mahmoud Darwish, who authored the Palestinian “declaration of independence.”
Shalhoub-Kevorkian was taken to the police station in Mevasseret Zion for further questioning, Israel Hayom reported.
A lawyer representing the professor decried the move as “another chapter in the series of harassment and incitement.”
The attorney highlighted a pattern of “threats and violence,” including a previous detention at the airport upon her return from a lecture in the U.K. and a temporary suspension from her teaching position at the university last month—a decision that was later reversed.
While initially suspending Shalhoub-Kevorkian, the administration faced internal and external pressures, leading to her reinstatement.
The decision further fueled discontent among students and faculty. Hundreds of students protested, calling for her permanent dismissal over her denial of the sexual assaults attributed to Hamas and her accusations against Israel.
Israeli Justice Minister Yariv Levin has advocated for legislation that would criminalize the denial of Hamas atrocities, a move that aligns with broader governmental efforts to counter misinformation.