Dutch universities deny anti-Israel group’s request to reveal “Israeli and Jewish connections”

It has been reported that Dutch universities have denied an anti-Israel group’s request in which they asked universities to reveal any ties they may have with Israeli and Jewish organisations.

Universiteiten van Nederland (UNL), an umbrella group that represents fourteen Dutch universities, said last week that the request had caused “considerable unrest” but under freedom of information rules, they were obligated to reply. 

The request was made by The Rights Forum, an organisation founded in 2009 by former Dutch Prime Minister Andreas van Agt, after alleging that pro-Israel university groups were stifling debates concerning Israel.

The organisation said that it had requested the universities to reveal their ties with Israeli academic institutions and companies, and other groups “known for their active and unconditional support for Israel’s domination of the Palestinians”.

Binyomin Jacobs, the Chief Rabbi of the Netherlands, remarked that the request “reeks of antisemitism” and that it implied a “shadowy Zionist/Jewish cabal is operating in the Dutch university system”.

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