Dutch universities have become significant sites of antisemitic activity since October 2023. Campus encampments, protest actions, and online harassment have created hostile environments for Jewish students and staff. Universities have legal and moral obligations to respond.

The Campus Landscape

Since 2024, multiple Dutch universities have experienced: - Pro-Palestinian encampments with antisemitic elements (slogans, symbols, intimidation) - Disruption of academic events related to Israel or Jewish topics - Online harassment of Jewish students and faculty on university platforms - Graffiti and vandalism targeting Jewish symbols on campus - Social exclusion and hostile environments in student organizations

Legal Framework

Universities have specific legal obligations: - **WHW (Higher Education and Research Act)**: Duty to provide a safe learning environment - **Equal Treatment Act**: Prohibition on discrimination in education - **Arbowet**: Employee protection against harassment and discrimination - **GDPR**: Privacy obligations in investigation and documentation

Balancing Free Speech and Safety

The most challenging aspect of campus antisemitism is the intersection with political expression. Key principles:

Protected: Criticism of Israeli policies, advocacy for Palestinian rights, calls for boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS), academic debate about Zionism.

Not protected: Targeting Jewish students for their identity, using antisemitic tropes in political expression, intimidation or threats directed at individuals, exclusion of Jewish students from academic or social activities.

The test: Would the same behavior directed at any other ethnic or religious minority be considered harassment? If yes, it is not rendered acceptable by wrapping it in political language.

Practical Steps for Universities

• **Appoint an antisemitism coordinator** with authority and resources to act
• **Train security staff** to recognize antisemitic incidents during protests
• **Update codes of conduct** to explicitly address antisemitism with examples
• **Establish rapid response** capability for protest situations
• **Create safe reporting** channels specifically for discrimination complaints
• **Engage Jewish student organizations** as partners in prevention and response
• **Conduct climate surveys** to assess the experience of Jewish students and staff
• **Publish transparency reports** on discrimination complaints and responses