50 Amsterdam University alumni, including non-Jews, return diplomas over severed ties with Israel's Hebrew University

The University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands has severed its ties with the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, claiming that the Israeli academic institution has “close ties with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF),” and the military industry, accusing it of involvement in “systematic violations of human rights.”

In response, 50 Jewish and non-Jewish alumni have returned their diplomas to the Dutch university to protest its anti-Israel bias. 

Former Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal, one of the alumni who returned his diploma, blasted Amsterdam University’s decision. 

“They didn’t even hold a hearing with the Hebrew University,” Rosenthal said, adding that the university’s decision was a result of pressure from anti-Israel activists to boycott Israeli academic institutions.

“Some of the protesters have no connection to the university at all,” he argued. 

Keyvan Shahbazi, a Dutch-Iranian author and prominent cultural figure who was tortured by the ayatollah regime and fled Iran in 1983, condemned the Dutch university’s decision. 

“The university has surrendered to terror,” Shahbazi argued. The author further praised the Israeli university’s research quality as “exceptionally high and enviable.”

Moran Zelikovich, a former Amsterdam University graduate and current advisor on immigration to the Netherlands, said that boycotts are very rare in the traditionally tolerant Dutch society. 

“This kind of protest is extremely rare in Dutch society. The Dutch avoid confrontation, but this decision has gone too far,” Zelikovich said. She added that she was not surprised, given the dramatic increase in anti-Israel and anti-Jewish sentiments on campus. 

Ronny Naftaniel, an Amsterdam University alumnus and former leader of the Dutch Jewish community, explained why he decided to return his diploma to the university. 

“I learned a core value at the university – that people should be judged by what they do and say. Canceling student exchanges with the Hebrew University, regardless of students’ political views, based on a flimsy report – that is discrimination based on nationality. That’s why I returned my economics degree,” Naftaniel stated. He revealed that the alumni who protested the decision spoke with the university’s board, which he argued “seemed to understand the pain we feel. Now it’s time for action.”

Last month, a report revealed that there has been a 66% increase in boycotts targeting Israeli academic institutions following the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023. 

The Netherlands is home to some 30,000 Jews, many with deep historic roots in the country. In recent decades, the Western European nation has absorbed a large number of immigrants from Muslim-majority countries in North Africa and the Middle East. As a result, the Netherlands has become home to around one million Muslims. 

Antisemitism has increased dramatically in the Netherlands following the Oct. 7 massacre of 1,200 Israelis and the kidnapping of 251 Israelis. Individuals with a Muslim immigrant background have been linked to a notable share of rising antisemitism in the Netherlands and other Western countries. 

Last November, 10 Israeli soccer fans were brutally attacked and injured in Amsterdam in what was described as a Muslim pogrom against Jews and anyone affiliated with the Jewish state. 

The antisemitic attacks were strongly condemned by Israeli and European leaders. 

Dutch right-wing coalition leader Geert Wilders delivered the strongest condemnation. 

“Pogrom in the streets of Amsterdam. We have become the Gaza of Europe. Muslims with Palestinian flags hunting down Jews. I will NOT accept that. NEVER. The authorities will be held accountable for their failure to protect the Israeli citizens. Never again,” Wilders wrote on the social media platform 𝕏.