Don’t give in to demonstrations, House of Representatives tells education officials

The protestant party SGP asserts that “students, academic staff, and protesters are exerting intimidating pressure to cut ties with Israeli institutions because of the war in Gaza” on several Dutch educational institutions.

To this end, there have been numerous demonstrations and occupations in higher education. The vandalism caused at an occupation of the University of Amsterdam is notorious. Face coverings and calls for an “intifada” are also not welcomed by everyone.

But the actions did not occur in a vacuum. Pressure is mounting on Israel now that it has killed so many Palestinians in Gaza in its furious response to the bloody Hamas attack of October 7th.

Holocaust

But severing those ties could undermine research into the Holocaust, according to the protestant MP Diederik van Dijk. He wants to prevent that, which is why he had submitted a motion.

The motion asks the government to urge universities and colleges not to give in to pressure. The government should also make it clear to these educational institutions that research on the Holocaust “must proceed unimpeded.” No party is defending the intimidation of administrators or that Holocaust research should be impeded. The only question is: Should the government interfere?

The four new coalition parties PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB, like the SGP, think so, it appeared Monday in votes in the Lower House. They received support from opposition parties CDA, ChristenUnie, and JA21.

Earlier debate

The motion had been submitted during a debate on tackling anti-Semitism, during which the protests in higher education were also discussed. The PVV denounced “a motley crew of the academic left, anarchists, foreign students and migrants who openly spread anti-Semitic slogans,” such as ‘from the river to the sea’.

Muslim party Denk reacted with surprise that the PVV denounced racism and anti-Semitism among professors and students. “The world has turned upside down, it seems.” Denk also defended the slogan ‘From the river to the sea’, which they claims is not an anti-Semitic call to wipe Israel off the map, but rather a plea for freedom for Palestinians.

In response to the motion submitted by the SGP, GroenLinks-PvdA pointed to academic freedom: Shouldn’t you be careful what you impose on universities? But a majority does not feel that this freedom is affected.

Lists

In this debate, the VVD called attention to the problem “of commemorations being canceled, Jewish schools closing their doors, Jewish students being harassed at Dutch universities, and lists being requested.”

The latter is a reference to a WOO (Open Government Act) request by the pro-Palestinian human rights organization The Rights Forum. Other parties also referred to it.

The Rights Forum, well before the new outbreak of violence in the war between Israel and the Palestinians, asked Dutch universities what collaborations there are with Israeli and pro-Israeli organizations and institutions. The process is ongoing.

Denk and GroenLinks-PvdA defended this WOO request, finding it incorrect to equate it with anti-Semitism. Other parties felt it could at least create an anti-Semitic impression.

Robbert Dijkgraaf

The debate was with outgoing Minister Dilan Yesilgöz (Justice), but outgoing Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf (Education) revisited the SGP motion in a letter. He has already spoken with universities and colleges about the protests and ties to Israel.

Among other things, those talks dealt with the assessment frameworks for international collaborations the institutions are working on. That framework must not discriminate, the minister informed. “In particular, it must not include anti-Semitism.”

With that, he will presumably consider the motion dismissed even before it is voted on.