Mayor Halsema: Jewish students’ sense of insecurity at the University of Amsterdam “not representative”

The UvA and VU say that the reported feelings of unsafety among some Jewish students and staff at both universities do not paint a complete picture. This is evident from answers given by mayor Femke Halsema to questions from the city council. Halsema bases her opinion on discussions with the universities. The UvA has reportedly indicated to her that the feelings of unsafety are not representative of the feelings of the entire Jewish UvA community. However, the UvA does recognise the feelings of unsafety expressed by a few individuals and says it is “deeply affected” by this, according to Halsema.

Halsema also says that it is “not UvA policy” to advise students or staff to avoid the campus or conceal their identity. In July, several Jewish students and staff members stated in an article in Het Parool that they were avoiding the campus because of feelings of insecurity. According to the newspaper, several students experienced verbal aggression and doxing from pro-Palestinian demonstrators and often concealed their identity.

The UvA has set up several reporting centres for Jewish students, according to the mayor. Recently, Jewish students at the UvA themselves also started the reporting centre L’Chaim. This reporting centre collects complaints from Jewish UvA members who feel excluded and ultimately wants to take these complaints to the UvA board.

Extra security

In addition, partly due to the feelings of insecurity among Jewish UvA students, extra security has been called in at the UvA, according to Halsema. The mayor also states that the UvA’s house rules have been tightened up. However, a draft version of the house rules was blocked last February by the Central Student Council (CSR) and the Central Works Council (COR). As a result, the old house rules still apply.

Feelings of insecurity among Jewish UvA students, although possibly intensified after 7 October 2023, are not new. As early as July 2023, several Jewish students told Folia that they felt unsafe and unwelcome. Since then, the UvA has instructed its security staff to “be alert to expressions that make Jewish students or staff feel unsafe”.

Earlier, this article incorrectly stated the feelings of Jewish students as “feelings of insecurity.” This phrase should have been translated as “feelings of unsafety.”