CBNNews.com - Arab filmmaker and lecturer Nizar Hassan has been asked to apologize to the Israeli soldier who came to a Sapir College classroom in his uniform.

In November, Eyal Cohen, on leave from his annual reserve duty, came to Hassan's class in his Israel Defense Forces (IDF) uniform. Hassan ordered Cohen to leave the class and told him not to come back wearing his uniform.

When he refused to leave, Hassan ordered Cohen not to speak in his classroom as long as he was in uniform.

Following the incident, Professor Ze'ev Tzahor, Sapir College president, formed a committee composed of other college lecturers to review the incident.

The committee concluded that while Hassan, or any lecturer, is entitled to his own political views, he has no right to impose them on his students. The committee recommended that Hassan apologize to the soldier.

Tzahor forwarded the committee's conclusions to Hassan, adding that his apology must include discussion on "respect for the IDF uniform and the absolute right of any student to enter your class in uniform."

Eti Livni, the attorney representing Hassan, called Tzahor's recommendation "humiliating, racist and discriminatory."

Tzahor assured Hassan's attorney that his intentions were not meant to humiliate his client. He was simply asking that Hassan write a personal letter to the reserve soldier stating that he "respects the fact that the student was wearing an IDF uniform."

Source: Haaretz