Dutch universities bow to pressure, agree to reveal ties to Jews and Israel

“It reminds us that during the country’s occupation, most mayors in the Netherlands cooperated and gave the names of Jewish residents of their cities to the Nazis,” the Netherlands Chief Rabbi said.

By World Israel News Staff

A pro-Palestinian rights group in the Netherlands pressured Dutch universities to reveal any ties their staff may have with Israeli and Jewish organizations, European Jewish Press reported.

Organizations include, for example, Magen David Adom medical emergency services, Taglit-Birthright Israel and the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

Heads of Dutch universities went forward with the move this week, as requested last month by the anti-Zionist group ‘The Rights Forum.’

Hanna Luden, director of the Center for Information and Documentation Israel, said:  “According to the custom in the Netherlands, the request itself is legitimate, although the letter that was sent reeks of [antisemitism],” Israel Hayom reported.

“The biggest problem,” according to Luden,  “Is that it seems the universities have accepted it, and this by definition, raises concerns.”

Chief Rabbi of the Netherlands Binyomin Jacobs, who also heads the European Jewish Association’s committee to combat antisemitism,  likened the scenario to the Holocaust, and said what worries him most is that the universities agreed to comply with the request.

“This is a demand that reeks of antisemitism and is reminiscent of demands Dutch mayors provide information on Jews to German occupiers during the Holocaust,” he said.

“It reminds us that during the country’s occupation, most mayors in the Netherlands cooperated and gave the names of Jewish residents of their cities to the Nazis. It must be emphasized that there is very little difference between anti-Zionism and antisemitism,” the rabbi said.

He added that in all his year, he has never seen such a “toxic environment for Jews. It is a shocking submission to the demands of a group that is openly hostile to Israel, which is the world’s only Jewish state.”