Forty UvA alumni have returned their diplomas in anger over the UvA’s Israel policy
This afternoon, some forty predominantly Jewish UvA alumni handed in their UvA diplomas to the president of the board, Edith Hooge, in protest against the non-renewal of the UvA’s student exchange programme with the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. “The UvA based its decision on a confusing report written by an anonymous committee.”
Some forty UvA alumni, predominantly of Jewish background, stood on the doorstep of the Roeterseiland campus on Friday morning with their original UvA diplomas. Among them was Frits van Coevoorden, who graduated from the University of Amsterdam in the 1970s. He came tot he UvA because he believes the university has been “hijacked by a bunch of activists who don’t belong here”, ruining “a valuable collaboration with another university”. “I think that’s a disgrace. I have no choice but to return my degree to the University of Amsterdam.”
Two weeks ago, the University of Amsterdam decided not to renew the student exchange programme with Hebrew University when it expires. A committee has investigated the HU’s possible involvement in the Gaza war. According to the committee’s report, there is evidence of “involvement in human rights violations” and “restriction of academic freedom”. The UvA alumni are particularly angry because they believe the UvA based its decision on a “confusing” report written by an “anonymous committee”.
Led by Ronny Naftaniel, former director of the Dutch Jewish Center for Information and Documentation Israel (CIDI) and former chairman of the Central Jewish Board (CJO) and Uri Rosenthal, former minister of Foreign Affairs, the group went to building E where university president Edith Hooge received them. Hooge said it was “unfortunate” that the UvA alumni were “no longer proud” of the university and was visibly moved. “The door is always open if you want to come and collect your degree certificate again.”
Good conversation
That does not seem to be the case for the time being, not even after a closed-door conversation between some of the alumni and Hooge and vice-chairman Jan Lintsen. According to Rosenthal, the UvA did not come through. “The UvA is missing out on an opportunity for students from Israel, of various backgrounds, Arab-Israeli, Jewish-Israeli, Palestinians, to participate in an exchange programme with Amsterdam to study, discuss and do research.”
The spokesperson for the University of Amsterdam said afterwards that the conversation had been “good and enlightening”. “It is always good to listen to the concerns and questions of this group and to explain why the decision was made the way it was”. So the Executive Board will not change its decision. “That was not the purpose of the conversation,” said the spokesperson. “However, we are looking at how we can re-enter into a partnership with Hebrew University - under certain conditions, which was already our intention. The new assessment framework for partnerships with third parties is still in development. The reason we have already made a decision about Hebrew University is because the student exchange contract had expired and we had to make a decision about it.”
Pro-Palestinian demonstration
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators also turned out for the handover. As a precaution, the entrance to REC-ABC had been closed since 11 a.m., as had the main entrance to building E. Fifteen or so demonstrators chanted slogans and held up signs saying “Anti-Zionism is not anti-Semitism” as the group of alumni entered. The demonstrators were kept out by police and security guards.
On Thursday, a group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators also showed their dissatisfaction by placing blue containers in the hall of REC-ABC with A4 sheets of paper with the text: “genocide deniers, please hand in your diplomas here”. There were also printed memes on the stairs and on the windows.
