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Dutch Universities Respond to Antisemitic Bullying Allegations
by Dion J. Pierre
Illustrative Anti-Israel protestors i c. 2021. Photo: Matt Hrkac/Wikimedia Commons.
Two Dutch universities on Tuesday responded to allegations that anti-Zionists activists have subjected Jewish undergraduates to hate speech and unruly demonstrations.
According to a report published by Folia, the official student newspaper of University of Amsterdam (UvA), earlier this month a mob of pro-Palestinian protestors stormed the halls of University of Amsterdam’s Roeterseiland campus, shouting, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” During the fracas, one student, Tamar Efrati, was confronted by a protestor who yelled, “Dirty Zionist!”
The report added that a similar demonstration took place at Vrije Universiteit (VU), which in English translates literally to Free University, but the students who reported it were told to wait three months to speak with an administrator.
“The university should be a place where you can have conversations,” Nati Banet told Folia. “What happens now is that emotions often run high and it quickly turns to swearing.”
On Tuesday Real Amsterdam News reported that University of Amsterdam denounced the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement but denied having knowledge of any student’s being singled out for harassment.
“The UvA does not support the call for a boycott of Israel or Israeli institutions and we could well understand that the slogans being shouted did not feel safe,” a university spokesperson said. “We are not aware of any incidents targeting individual Jewish students. It is of course important that students know they way to the Confidential Advisors, Complaints Committee or Ombuds Officer if they experience undesirable behavior.”
VU also responded to the Folia piece, saying, “VU aims to be an inclusive and safe environment for all its students. When tensions or threats arise, we always engage in conversation. The VU’s Diversity Office is committed to this, but we also try to keep the dialogue going on campus through center 3D and focus precisely on connecting different groups of students. It should be clear that exclusion and discrimination will not be tolerated by the VU.”
Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.
