Am I still allowed to write this on campus?
It's time for the UvA to show its colors in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, argues associate professor Jef Aus. He calls on the UvA administration not to be tempted to “brush off” any expression of desire for a truce, equality, justice, and condemnation of senseless violence against Palestinians as anti-Semitic.
Recently, for the second time in a row, an A4 sheet was removed from my office door: an abstract artwork in watercolor with the words “ceasefire now” underneath. A playful photo of a colleague we had taken after the defense of his dissertation was also removed. Why are these various forms of expression suddenly being surreptitiously removed?
It seems to fit within a worrisome trend whereby the UvA—especially since October 2023—has been actively censoring students and staff. This is happening in all sorts of subtle and not-so-subtle ways. For example, we see policy provisions that were previously rarely enforced suddenly being used aggressively to actively gag students and staff when it comes to one particular issue: the suffering of Palestinians. Posters calling for peace are removed without explanation. Peaceful academic meetings on Palestine require a request in advance, as opposed to other meetings, as explicitly and broadly stated by the CvB and all deans in a November 22nd, 2023 message to employees: “Teach-ins and other discussions or lectures related to the conflict (must) be announced in advance (...) and don't forget to submit a request to Facility Services.”
Human rights
We see security and police deployed on and around campus creating a grim atmosphere of repression and insecurity. There was even a recent decision to temporarily close the REC buildings entirely, in clear violation of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR, especially Articles 10 and 11) and the case law of the European Court of Human Rights. After all, the suppression of a perfectly peaceful protest by a public institution like the UvA is disproportionate and not necessary to prevent disturbances. The UvA thereby violated the rights of free speech (Article 10, ECHR) and assembly (Article 11 ECHR), as interpreted by the European Court of Human Rights.
Isn't it ironic that calls against violence and for peace are not tolerated by the university? This is especially so in light of the university's core values of justice, security, and fundamental rights and freedom in a broader sense.
Who is being protected from whom here, and for what?
Institutional plan
The UvA's institutional plan literally states:
“The UvA educates people who tackle social problems and develops the knowledge that enables them to do so. This is how we actively shape the world of tomorrow. We do not refer to this as our reason for existence for nothing. Part of it is that we put the public values we hold dear into practice ourselves. (...) In doing so, we take responsibility for a livable, safe, just, and sustainable environment—close to home and further afield.”
What do these promises mean if peaceful calls for truce, justice, and peace are not welcome at the university, no matter how serene and inclusive they may be? As far as I am concerned, it is disingenuous and unacademic to claim that any kind of polemic or naming of undeniable facts creates a socially unsafe environment. Of course, I also want everyone to feel safe and at home at the university, where there is room for the multiplicity of opinions and complexity of all kinds
of topics. But we must not let the vagueness and complexity of certain details concerning the history of Israel and Palestine blind us to what is so evident right now: the untold human suffering and destruction in Palestinian territories.
Vague terms
Surely vague terms like “neutrality” and “objectivity” or the claim that the university is no place for politics do not get in the way of that? On the contrary! It is clear that the university does not do this when it comes to other initiatives about which there is political disagreement: combating global warming, gender-neutral bathrooms, or coming to terms with our colonial past. This undoubtedly makes many feel scandalized, but that should not stop the university from taking steps. Only in this way will we “take responsibility for a liveable, safe, just and sustainable environment—both close to home and further away,” as stated in the institution's plan.
Therefore, do not be tempted to dismiss any desire for a truce, equality, justice, or condemnation of senseless violence against Palestinians as anti-Semitic. Lumping anti-Semitism with anti-Zionism or criticizing Israel's proven war crimes is evidence of academic laziness, especially after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling.
There is no place at the university for anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, or any other discrimination or intolerance. Taking action against this does not mean that we shouldn't be able to raise injustices and, as a socially engaged organization, do what we can to challenge them. After all, the facts speak for themselves and concern us as a university community too: Among the thousands of Palestinians murdered are hundreds of journalists and academics!
Not words, but deeds
As an institution of knowledge, I hope we can distinguish fact from opinion, and share, or at least acknowledge, a shared reality. Let us speak from our humanity and with scholarly integrity against oppression and in favor of justice. We can do this together, not with empty words, but with deeds. For this I fully endorse the numerous calls from students and colleagues, and in particular the recent open letters from 300 academics as well as Dutch Scholars for Palestine, which propose taking concrete steps to fulfill our responsibility as a university in light of the recent ICJ ruling. I would also emphatically ask, as several other European universities have done, to pause ties with Israeli partners, to urgently welcome Palestinian students and academics in need into our UvA community, and to stop repressing staff and students who speak out peacefully on behalf of Palestinians.
Jef Ausloos is an associate professor at UvA's Institute for Information Law.
