A website affiliated with an anti-Zionist group is offering bounties of up to $100,000 for the assassination of Israeli academics worldwide, including several based in the United States. The site, known as the Punishment for Justice Movement, has listed the personal details of at least 40 researchers, including their home addresses and contact information, according to a report by The Jerusalem Post.
The bounties vary by target, with $50,000 offered for the murder of any listed academic and $100,000 for “special targets.” The group accuses these academics of complicity in violence against children, stating that they misuse their expertise to support the Israeli military. The website also incentivizes other actions, such as $2,000 for placing protest signs at their homes, $5,000 for gathering information about the targets, and up to $20,000 for arson against their properties.
Details of the Threats and Response
The website was first uncovered by Israeli media on October 27, 2023, and was briefly taken offline before reappearing the following evening. Among the 40 targeted individuals are five employees of the CERN Institute in Switzerland, which houses the world’s largest particle accelerator. The group claims its actions are justified by alleging that the scientists contribute to the spread of weapons of mass destruction.
In a striking declaration, the organization announced that it would offer “double rewards” for five Israeli government officials. The site provides instructions for potential assassins to establish secure communication channels and advises them to use fictitious names when creating profiles.
Authorities are taking the threats seriously; Israel’s Mossad spy agency has initiated an investigation into the matter. Reports indicate that there may be connections to Iran, although this has not been officially confirmed.
Reactions from Targeted Academics
One of the academics listed, Michael Bronstein, a professor of computer science at Oxford University, responded to the threats with a mix of defiance and dark humor. He remarked that he was “profoundly disturbed” to find his life valued so cheaply, jokingly suggesting that anything below a seven-figure bounty was “highly offensive.”
Bronstein emphasized that he does not feel threatened by the website, characterizing its operators as individuals with too much free time and lacking serious endeavors. His comments reflect a broader sentiment among the academic community, which views these bounties as not only a personal outrage but also as an attack on scholarly freedom and safety.
The situation continues to develop as authorities investigate the origins of the website and the motivations behind its threats. The international academic community is closely monitoring these events, which highlight the ongoing risks faced by researchers involved in politically charged fields.
