Knesset C'tee to probe Lapid doctorate affair

Investigation to address suspicions concerning Yair Lapid's alleged acceptance to Ph.D. program without having necessary prerequisites.

yair lapid 311 (photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
yair lapid 311
(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
The Knesset Education Committee plans to investigate television personality turned politician Yair Lapid's acceptance into Bar Ilan University's doctoral program for hermeneutics, in a televised meeting on Monday.
Lapid does not have a Bagrut (high school matriculation) certificate, nor did he complete B.A. studies.
The Bar-Ilan University website explains that the hermeneutics program, which combines master's and doctoral studies, is "meant for students who completed their bachelor's degrees with honors."
When asked on his Facebook page about his acceptance to the doctoral program, Lapid wrote: "Think about what a compliment this is. After all of the investigations on me, they could not find anything, and had to make up a story."
Last week, the Council for Higher Education announced that it would investigate Lapid's acceptance to the program.
In reaction, Lapid wrote on his Facebook page that he was accepted according to the university's criteria, and someone is clearly "worried" by his political career.
"The reasons they are doing this are interesting," he added. "I'm sorry people feel the need to slander."