Anger after Maastricht university stops Jewish students’ meeting

The University of Maastricht has been accused of “encouraging intimidation” after it cancelled a meeting by a Jewish students’ organisation at an hour’s notice because of protests outside the event.

Organisers said 12 students were due to attend a lecture by social sciences professor Eli Sapir titled Three Years after October 7, referring to the terrorist attacks by Hamas in Israel that triggered the destruction of Gaza.

The event was relocated at short notice after pro-Palestinian groups posted social media messages calling on people to demonstrate at the venue.

Protest group Maastricht Students for Palestine denounced the meeting as “Zionist propaganda” in an Instagram post, adding: “Bring your friends, something to cover your face, and some pots and spoons or drums to make some noise.”

University authorities decided to call off the event an hour before it was due to start after demonstrators appeared outside the new venue, even though the organisers said they were not acting aggressively.

In a statement, the university blamed pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian groups for stoking tensions by appealing to their supporters to travel to Maastricht.

It said: “Because of online appeals by both supporters and opponents of the meeting with the aim of mobilising large numbers of people, the University could not guarantee its safety.”

But the organisers, the Jewish students’ union IJAR and campaign group StandWithUs Nederland, reacted furiously, accusing the university of “a systematic suppression of Jewish student life on campus”.

StandWithUs director Claudia van Zanten said: “I am absolutely furious that a small gathering of Jewish students was cancelled just before it was due to begin, without any legal justification whatsoever.

“By cancelling this lecture, the university is rewarding and encouraging intimidation.”

The group said it was considering taking further action against the university.