Political Ad Sparks Controversy at Jerusalem College

A massive election poster for a divisive politician recently caused an uproar in Jerusalem. For weeks, drivers on Deganya Street saw the sign for Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionist Party. It hung directly beneath the name of the Jerusalem College of Technology-Lev Academic Center. The placement suggested an endorsement. The college wanted it gone.

This was not just any location. The poster was on the campus of JCT’s Machon Tal. This is a campus for Orthodox and Haredi women studying engineering and nursing. The institution has built a 55 year reputation for blending rigorous science with religious studies. It stays deliberately apart from politics. The sudden appearance of Smotrich’s campaign imagery shocked the community. Smotrich has actively opposed drafting Haredi men into military service. His platform is deeply polarizing. Linking his name to the college’s facade created an immediate crisis.

College administrators were flooded with calls. People demanded to know why JCT was backing Smotrich. President Prof. Avi Domb and Vice President Stuart Hershkowitz acted quickly. They told me their institution has no political affiliations. They said the sign was misleading. It created a false impression of support. They wanted it removed.

Their problem was a matter of property. The building is owned by Oded Ben David. His family owns several properties in the Givat Shaul industrial area. The college is his tenant. Domb and Hershkowitz asked Ben David to take the poster down. They asked him to at least cover the JCT sign so the two would not be linked. He refused.

Ben David defended his choice. He noted he put a large poster for Benjamin Netanyahu on the same building four years ago. That also drew complaints. His stance was simple. He told me, “Bibi will manage on his own. Now I’m especially for Smotrich.” The building owner saw his property rights as paramount. The college’s reputation was collateral damage.

The conflict highlights a tension in Israeli public life. Private property rights can directly clash with institutional neutrality. A landlord’s political expression can falsely implicate a respected academic tenant. This forces schools into political fights they never sought.

The Jerusalem Municipality received complaints. Officials also called for the poster’s removal. Their authority in such matters is limited. They can enforce signage laws. They cannot dictate a landlord’s political speech.

The nonprofit Academy for a Democratic Israel escalated the matter. Its lawyers sent a letter directly to Smotrich’s campaign. They demanded immediate removal of the poster. College management told me they were not involved in this legal action. They were caught between an activist group and a resistant landlord.

Then, last week, the poster vanished. No one claimed responsibility. Ben David did not announce its removal. The Smotrich campaign stayed silent. The municipality did not issue a statement. The quiet end felt abrupt. Peace returned to the building’s facade. The political ad controversy at Jerusalem College was over.

The incident leaves troubling questions. How do institutions protect their non-political brand? What recourse do they have when a landlord’s actions compromise their neutrality? The college relied on persuasion and public pressure. It worked slowly. The damage to their public image was done over weeks.

This case is a warning. It shows how easily academic neutrality can be undermined. A single property owner can create a false political association. The solution often lies in complex negotiations, not clear rules. For the students and staff of Machon Tal, the episode was an unwanted lesson in real-world politics. Their campus became a billboard in a national debate they did not choose. The sign is gone. The problem of how to prevent the next one remains.

• The political controversy reflects public tension.
• College management sought to distance from the sign.
• Property rights conflict with institutional neutrality.
• Community reactions were swift and vocal.
• Legal actions were taken by an activist group.
• Negotiations led to the poster’s eventual removal.