A website linked to an anti-Zionist group has reportedly placed bounties of up to $100,000 on the heads of numerous Israeli academics worldwide, including several in the United States. The site, known as the Punishment for Justice Movement, offers $50,000 for the assassination of each academic listed and $100,000 for the murder of “special targets.” The group claims that the targeted researchers are complicit in violence against children, a claim that has generated widespread outrage.
According to a report from The Jerusalem Post, the website has divulged personal details such as home addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and social media accounts for at least 40 scholars. Additional financial incentives include $2,000 for placing protest signs outside their homes, $5,000 for providing information on the targets, and $20,000 for committing acts of arson against their property. The site was exposed by Israeli media on October 6, 2023, and temporarily went offline before reappearing the following evening.
Among those targeted are five employees of the CERN Institute, located in Switzerland, which houses the world’s largest particle accelerator. The group asserts that these academics misuse their scientific knowledge to facilitate violence. A statement from the website justified the bounties, claiming, “Instead of using science to serve humanity, these killers used their knowledge to kill innocent people and children by spreading weapons of mass destruction to the Israeli military.”
The website also offers double rewards for five officials from the Israeli government. It instructs potential assassins to establish secure communication channels prior to executing their plans and advises them to use aliases when creating profiles on the site. The website appears to have been established in August 2023 and is believed to be based in Drenthe, Netherlands.
In response to the threats, Israel’s Mossad has initiated an investigation. Reports from Ynet suggest that officials suspect Iranian involvement in the creation of the site.
Professor Michael Bronstein, a computer science academic at Oxford University, publicly responded to the bounty placed on him, stating that he is “profoundly disturbed” by the situation. Despite the seriousness of the threat, he expressed skepticism about the website’s credibility, calling its operators “nutcases who have a lot of free time and no serious job.” He humorously remarked, “I was profoundly disturbed and shocked that my head was valued so cheaply, considering my standing in the academic community. I find anything below a seven-figure highly offensive. I am, however, consoled that I am at least in good company.”
This alarming incident highlights the intersection of academic freedom and violent extremism, raising significant concerns about the safety and security of researchers engaged in controversial fields of study. The implications of such threats extend beyond individual safety, potentially impacting the broader academic community and international collaboration in research.
