Israeli in Netherlands rejected from Dutch course after refusing to call Gaza war a ‘genocide’

Before ending the admissions interview, the teacher accused the student of being in denial and reiterated that his views made him unsuitable for the course.

By Ailin Vilches Arguello, The Algemeiner

An Israeli man living in the Netherlands was rejected from a Dutch-language course after refusing to endorse his prospective teacher’s characterization of Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide” during an admissions interview.

The Center for Information and Documentation on Israel (CIDI)—a Dutch Jewish human rights organization that monitors antisemitism—shared on Friday a recording of the conversation, in which the teacher said he only wanted to work with students who shared his views on what he called the “Palestinian genocide.”

“First, there’s something somewhat uncomfortable I need to ask,” the teacher said at the beginning of the interview. “I only want to work with people at my school who share the same view on the Palestinian genocide.”

“This is important to me because there are Palestinians in our community,” he continued. “So, I need to know whether we agree on this issue—whether you strongly oppose what your government is doing—so that we can continue.”

At that point, the student said the matter was deeply personal, explaining that he had lost his uncle in the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and that he could not agree with describing the ensuing war as “genocide.”

However, the teacher continued pressing the student on the issue, insisting that the characterization of Israel’s actions as “genocide” was not a matter of debate.

“Everyone agrees on one thing: that there was deliberate genocide,” the teacher said. “I’m sure you did not personally take part in it.”

The student then told him that he did not want to be drawn into such a conversation, making clear that he preferred to keep the discussion focused on the language course rather than engage in a political debate.

“I don’t believe there is genocide in Gaza, at least not intentionally,” he said.

“I do believe that war crimes may have been committed, that they should be investigated, and that anyone responsible should stand trial and go to prison. But I don’t want to take part in a conversation that presents genocide as a fact, because I don’t believe genocide is being committed.”

Before ending the admissions interview, the teacher accused the student of being in denial and reiterated that his views made him unsuitable for the course.

“I only want students who oppose genocide, and genocide is a fact,” the teacher said. “You deny it, and I don’t like that. I wish you all the best at another school. Good luck.”

CIDI has since taken the case to the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights, raising concerns that the student may have faced discrimination because of his views and identity.

“An example of the heartbreaking reality that Israelis and Jews in the Netherlands are increasingly forced to confront,” CIDI said in a statement.

Israeli Ambassador to the Netherlands Zvi Aviner Vapni also strongly condemned the incident, calling it “deeply concerning.”

“A nation that once prided itself on openness and acceptance is now increasingly drawing inspiration from some of its darkest historical periods,” the Israeli diplomat wrote in a post on X.

“Strong, decisive leadership at the highest levels is urgently needed to put an end to this harassment,” he continued.

The latest incident comes just days after Maastricht University in the Netherlands suspended a 22-year-old Palestinian student from Gaza after a video surfaced online showing him watching a documentary about the Oct. 7 atrocities and appearing to acknowledge that he was among the masked gunmen depicted in the footage.

Like most countries across Europe and the broader Western world, the Netherlands has seen a shocking rise in antisemitic incidents over the last three years, particularly since the outbreak of the war in Gaza.

According to a recent report, Dutch authorities recorded 867 antisemitic hate crimes in 2025, a figure that remains at deeply troubling levels and virtually unchanged from the 880 antisemitic incidents recorded the previous year.

Even though Jews make up less than 0.3 percent of the Dutch population, anti-Jewish hate crimes account for 26 percent of all discrimination cases.

The recently released report shows a decrease in violent antisemitic incidents, with 34 cases compared to 42 in 2024.

However, local police registered an increase in antisemitic threats in 2025, with 93 cases compared to 88 the previous year.

Of the 867 registered incidents, more than 400 involved Jewish individuals or institutions in everyday settings, including residential neighborhoods, public streets, and areas around Jewish buildings and cemeteries.