Since October 7, Dutch universities have also been caught in a difficult balance between academic freedom and fierce protests

‘You endorse police violence’ and ‘Racist institute’. The two slogans appeared last month on the facade of the Amsterdam University College building, a frequent scene of pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

The slogans, and two large cracks in the glassware, were reason for the Amsterdam institution to file a report. The destruction is an exception in the Dutch academic world, but the underlying sentiment is anything but.

Since October 7, many Dutch universities have been in a difficult position. In recent months, universities have had to deal with so-called sit-in protests on university grounds, banners with slogans and lectures about Gaza and the war. Students regularly call on their university to sever ties with Israeli educational institutions and institutions.

Animosity

The situation is far from comparable to that in the United States, where hundreds of students and staff were arrested at a protest at Columbia University in New York on Thursday. Nevertheless, there are certainly concerns. Among university boards, but also among Jewish students and staff members. The universities have always paid attention to the Palestinians, they say, but since October the animosity towards the state of Israel is palpable on a daily basis.

For example, a 34-year-old PhD student from the University of Groningen who does not want her name in the newspaper feels this way. ‘Israeli and Jewish students have been challenged about their identity since October and feel forced to speak out against Israel.’

Things were different before the war, she believes. ‘The atmosphere feels hostile. During the protests, Israel, the only Jewish country in the world, is seen as the aggressor. As a Jew, I am associated with that and it is painful. Regardless of what I think about Israeli politics, I feel religiously and culturally connected to the country.”

The academic talks a lot with other Jewish PhD candidates and students. ‘If you don’t say you’re Jewish, there’s nothing wrong,’ they say. But that means I have to hide my identity. Anti-Semitism should not become the norm.’

‘Difficult situation’

Professor of Jewish Studies Jessica Roitman (Vrije Universiteit) recognizes that image. ‘Jewish students come to me because they find the situation difficult. For example, some teachers make it clear in lectures that they are anti-Israel. Students find it difficult to discuss with classmates that they are Jewish or from Israel themselves. When it comes up, the atmosphere becomes grim, they say.’

While Roitman used to wear her Star of David necklace on campus without thinking, she is now constantly aware of it. ‘It is no longer self-evident. And when I wear it, it’s kind of a statement.’

Pro-Palestinian action groups at the university deny having anything against Jews, they emphasize. They do not want a religiously polarized debate and just chant slogans, but want to be able to have an academic conversation about the war on campus. Jews who disagree with the Israeli government also join them, they say.

TU Delft event canceled

At the end of April, an event organized by BK Scholars for Palestine, a group of researchers from the Faculty of Architecture at TU Delft, was canceled at the last minute. The event was supposed to be about the consequences of the war on architecture in Gaza and explicitly provide a platform for Palestinian academics. ‘We had hung up about two hundred posters at the Faculty of Architecture for promotion. “We found countless posters in the trash bin and torn on the ground a day after hanging,” says one of the organizers, who wishes to remain anonymous.

Responsible dean Dick van Gameren himself posted a message: ‘Destroying these posters is not acceptable. Anyone who disagrees with the event should come see me.” The event was canceled a week before the meeting. TU Delft had received several signals indicating that the event would not be safe, but did not elaborate further.

BK Scholars for Palestine moved to a location off campus. ‘It was intended as an educational event, the speakers would rely on facts and research. There was no reason for anyone to feel threatened. We have been censored by the university,” said one of the organizers.

Academic freedom

That academic freedom is where it comes in, as conversations show de Volkskrant with several universities. They believe that the campus is the ideal place to facilitate discussions. In addition, the right to demonstrate also applies on campus, subject to the house rules. At the same time, universities see the boundaries with political activism blurring and they feel a duty to stand up for Jewish students and employees.

Both Roitman and the 34-year-old PhD student feel excluded from the academic debate about the war. ‘In the past, different opinions were discussed during a panel on Israel and the Palestinian territories. But now when there is a debate about, for example, Israeli sanctions, all speakers are in favor of a boycott. It is no longer about both sides being able to speak,” the professor said.

There is more unrest around the universities than in the past, according to the umbrella organization Universities of the Netherlands. ‘The willingness to take action among students is increasing, and we also see this in discussions about the fossil industry,’ says interim chairman Jouke de Vries.

It is bubbling, especially at the society-oriented faculties. ‘There are currently various themes in which students who want to change the world are taking action. Where is the border? All directors struggle with that question.’

De Vries, himself chairman at the University of Groningen, advocates the academically oriented debate. ‘Screaming is of no use to us at a higher education institution. You have to let different perspectives be heard, then a lot is possible.’