Dijkgraaf opposes banning protests against Israel at universities
Strong action must be taken against anti-Semitism, Minister Dijkgraaf believes. But controversial opinions are also allowed at universities, and so activists are allowed to call for a boycott of Israel there.
In March, Palestinian activist Omar Barghouti spoke at the University of Groningen (RUG) during “Israeli Apartheid Week.” His controversial Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement calls for a boycott of the state of Israel until Palestinians and Arabs have the same rights as Jewish Israelis.
Critics say the activist group is anti-Semitic because it demonizes Israel, along with those who support the state. The German Bundestag has also labeled BDS activists as anti-Semitic.
Threatened
In the Reformerisch Dagblads, the Israel-centric CIDI charged that the RUG provided a stage for the activists and their week of action. Pro-Israel Jewish students felt threatened as a result, they claimed. The SGP submitted questions to parliament about this.
“I can imagine that this week evoked unsafe feelings among Jewish and other students,” Dijkgraaf wrote partly on behalf of Justice and Security Minister Yeşilgöz. “That does not alter the fact that, within the limits of the law and in compliance with academic standards, there must be room within an academic environment for controversial or unwelcome views that may encounter resistance. This does not contradict a safe learning environment.”
Was that the case in Groningen? There was at least one time when this was not the case, the minister reports. “In retrospect, it was found that one meeting took place where these conditions were not guaranteed and where as a consequence there may have been an unsafe environment.”
Reinforce
Those conditions stipulated that meetings during “Israeli Apartheid Week” be open to all, there had to be a moderator, and the law could not be broken. The minister did not report which condition was violated. The university would reinforce its protocol.
But he will not engage with the university about the week. “It is not appropriate to generally interpret the call for a boycott or sanctions against a country as discrimination,” he believes.
Together with all institutions, he is working on an approach to improve social safety and inclusion in higher education. He is also involving the National Anti-Semitism Coordinator and Jewish youth organizations in this effort, he reports.
Report
As to whether anti-Semitism in the Netherlands is on the rise because of the “growing number of anti-Israel events,” Dijkgraaf cannot say, as “There is no unequivocal data available.”
He emphasizes that “Anti-Semitism must be vigorously countered. I therefore also call on students and others who are victims of this to report it.”
