Best Wishes to Professor Jonathan Dekel-Chen, and a call for the release of all hostages

16 February, 2025

 

Members of the Hebrew University Community,

On behalf of our entire community, we are excited and embrace our colleague, Professor Jonathan Dekel-Chen, on the release of his son, Sagui Dekel-Chen, from captivity. Sagui was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz to Gaza on October 7, 2023, and returned to us after 498 days in captivity. During these long and dark days, Yonatan fought for his son’s return on every stage, both in Israel and around the world. At the same time, Jonathan insisted on continuing to teach at his academic home here at the Hebrew University, the Faculty of Humanities.

The joy of Sagui’s return will not be complete until all 73 hostages still in Hamas captivity are brought home, the living to recover and the deceased to bury. We call on the Israeli government to do everything in its power to bring them home as soon as possible.

 

Asher Cohen, President
Tamir Sheafer, Rector
Yishai Frankel, CEO