Note of the editors: This contribution of the political scientist from dr. Eliyahu Sapir (Maastricht University) is the private view of the author and do not reflect the views, policies, or positions of Maastricht University, its staff members, or its students. We are very grateful to dr. Sapir for answering our questions on the background and the contents of his recent presentation in the United States!

In 2020, together with Jan Weitkamp, I wrote an article for AVOTAYNU in which we revealed the names of seventy Jewish forced labourers from Camp Vught who, in 1943, were transferred to Camp Amersfoort and forced to work in the heart of the city. Unfortunately, these names have since been widely copied without proper attribution. On antisemitismenieuws.nl, we now publish the source as it could and should have been cited.

“The regime has held the Jewish community in Iran hostage for decades,” says Daniel, a pseudonym for a candid Persian Jew. A life marked by constant uncertainty and the looming threat of persecution. “Every word can be twisted. Any innocent conversation can lead to arrest or even the death of family members or friends. Daily life is governed by fear, self-censorship, and the suppression of your identity—just to survive. It’s understandable that the Jewish community in Iran remains silent and is even forced to publicly denounce Israel’s actions—for fear of repression.”

This week, Utrecht University quietly announced that it would abandon its previously declared “absolute ban” on building occupations, opting instead to evaluate each encampment “on a case-by-case basis.” Framed in language about “legal nuance,” the move is neither subtle nor responsible. It is, in truth, a dereliction of duty—one that sets a dangerous precedent for campus life across Europe.

The Jewish community of Rotterdam has taken a decisive stand: following Erasmus University Rotterdam’s suspension of collaborations with Israeli universities, the community has frozen ongoing negotiations concerning the construction of student housing on land it owns. Chairman Chris den Hoedt explains the decision.

The recent “Statement on Academic Freedom” by the rectors of Dutch universities is rich in principle but disturbingly hollow in practice. Their lofty rhetoric about freedom of thought, open dialogue, and the rejection of dogma rings painfully ironic to those of us who have spent the last two years watching these same institutions stand by, or actively participate, as Jewish and Israeli academics were marginalized, silenced, harassed, and excluded.

As part of the "Reclaiming the Narrative" lecture series, organized by DUJS (Dutch Union of Jewish Students), pro-Israeli speakers were invited to deliver guest lectures at various universities in the Netherlands. One of these lectures, by Shabbos Kestenbaum, was scheduled to take place at Maastricht University on May 19. Kestenbaum is a former Harvard University student who sued the elite university, one of the main centers of anti-Israeli protest on U.S. campuses since October 7, for failing to protect Jewish and Israeli students from antisemitic harassment and discrimination. In his lecture, Kestenbaum aimed to share his experiences and insights on fighting antisemitism through strength, visibility, and Jewish pride.

Canada has always been considered an extremely safe country for its Jewish community, says Pieter Dorsman, owner of a venture capital and technology investment advisory firm, speaking from Vancouver. Yet today, among Canadian Jews, there is outright bewilderment as “the new home for Holocaust survivors” now finds itself at the forefront of antisemitism. In this interview, Dorsman describes and analyses the growing sense of alienation many Jews now feel towards Canada.

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“The terror unleashed by Hamas has amplified and emboldened antisemitic tendencies in society,” writes Islamic scholar Dr. Abdel-Hakim Ourghi on his Facebook page. “These tendencies are not only growing louder, but are also being publicly and visibly articulated.”

There are lines in an interview that strike a deep chord. They expose a reality we would rather not face – too awful for words. In the interview, Ernst Jehoeda uses one such line: “What Hitler failed to accomplish, this society might yet succeed in doing, meaning that more and more Jewish young people will leave.” A Netherlands without a (visible) Jewish community… Unimaginable! Truly unimaginable?