On 23 November, Ethan Bergman (Belgian and Israeli) gave an interview for Dutch online medium Israël Nieuws about an alleged anti-Jewish climate at the UM. In reaction, four political parties sent letters to the ministers of Education and of Justice. The PVV reckoned that “the alleged reality for Jewish students and lecturers” on Israël Nieuws is the opposite of the UM’s “inclusive culture”. Also: “In what way will you get it across to society, and so also education institutes, that antisemitism is inadmissible?” VVD, ChristenUnie and SGP want to know.
An eruption of hate
It is not new to the UM, reports that Jewish students are being threatened by people from inside and outside the university. In its newsletter last May, the Diversity & Inclusivity Office spoke about “an eruption of hate towards Islamic and Jewish members of our community.” Exactly how big was that eruption? Unfortunately, that did not become clear. Except that there were “antisemitic and Islamophobic remarks, intimidation, hate messages and threats” – usually via social media – towards students and employees with a Jewish or Islamic background, said diversity officer Constance Sommerey at the time.
Sommerey now tells us that the Jewish students who reported to her, have on multiple occasions been told about the procedure: that they can see a confidential advisor about their complaints or stories regarding threats.” According to the Executive Board, however, no formal complaints have been made. Bergman: “In my eyes, this seems to be a defense which states, as long as the student did not go through the exact procedure, that the issue does not exist.”
Excluded
What makes the UM, according to some, so unsafe for the Jewish community? Since the start of his study, five years ago, FASoS student Bergman feels that they are being “excluded from the narrative”. In other words, both in the curricula and in the diversity policy they don’t feel ‘seen’. Bergman estimates that there are about 150 to 175 Jewish students registered at the UM, but not everyone dares to admit that. “If you do admit it, you often get ignorant questions that show that fellow students have no idea what they are talking about. But those are the minor things. Until a year ago, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, on 27 January, was not on the university calendar. What was on it? Chocolate Cake Day.” Correct, says Sommerey, “but this has been set right. The remark was on point. It is not just an important day for the Jewish community, but for everyone.”
Curricula
For Bergman, it is about the bigger picture. “The lack of attention for Jewish culture and history in programmes; that leads to lack of knowledge, and ignorance leads to hate.” Sommerey: “To be honest, I am not aware of the content of all Maastricht curricula, and we cannot demand that all programme directors incorporate the Jewish view in their programmes. I do know, for example, that the Centre for Gender and Diversity at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences spends time on the subject in a minor. Furthermore, we have asked the students to send us short messages on say, Jewish holidays, so that we can share them on social media channels.”
Freedom of speech
What is especially a thorn in Bergman’s side is the fact that the university allows “one-sided anti-Israel events”. He feels that it is a problem that Free Palestine Maastricht is allowed to organise meetings under the heading of ‘freedom of speech’. There is “a fine line between freedom and incitement” that should be addressed, he says. “Last September, the Feminists of Maastricht, together with Free Palestine Maastricht, held an event at the Faculty of Law. On neutral ground, you would say. And yes, the first ten minutes it was on the announced topic, but after that there was a discussion about that Israel is a threat to the world and should be destroyed.” The fact that the university doesn’t take a stance – “not for the one or the other, but a vision that does justice to both” – he calls “not productive”.
Free Palestine Maastricht
According to medical student Omar Ashour, chairman of Free Palestine Maastricht, women shared their stories during the event ‘the role of Palestinian women in the struggle for freedom’, last September, "followed by a discussion. Among other things, about what we as students can do to help in the liberation of Palestine. The fact that this was labelled antisemitic is another example of how antisemitism is instrumentalized to silence the Palestine liberation movement. Some time ago we have published a statement on social media in which we make clear that we reject antisemitism. There is a strong distinction between Zionism and Judaism. Antizionism is not antisemitism.”
The dean
Finally, what about the "very activist professor" who believes that the Star of David "symbolizes genocidal intentions", as Bergman states in the article in Israel News? It turns out that he is not a professor at UM, but a lecturer at Zuyd university of applied sciences. And which "dean" is Bergman talking about who did not take the alleged anti-Semitic threats against a Jewish student seriously and replied that 'she had asked for it'? It was not a dean, writes the student (who does not want her name to be mentioned) in an e-mail to Observant, but “someone in an influential position” within the Faculty of Law. She doesn’t remember his name. The student states that she no longer studies at UM. “Because of the threats and the lack of support from the university”, she says. Enquiry at management level within the faculty has revealed that a talk with her has indeed taken place, but it is emphatically denied that such a statement was ever made.