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I Accuse: The Collapse of Moral Integrity in the Netherlands

March 29, 2025, Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands: A pro-Palestinian demonstrator burns a hand-fashioned Israeli flag. Photo: James Petermeier/ZUMA Press Wire via Reuters Connect
On May 13, 2025, upon arriving to teach at my university, I was confronted by demonstrators aggressively chanting slogans such as: “Say it loud, say it clear, we don’t want no Zionists here,” and even more threateningly, “With our blood, with our soul, we will redeem you, Gaza.”
As I attempted to document this explicit hostility by filming it with my phone, senior university administrators and security officials intervened — not to protect me, but to publicly pressure me into deleting my recordings. They falsely insisted I had no legal right to document this open intimidation toward Jews and Zionists. When I refused, they demanded that I physically leave — not for my safety, but explicitly because demonstrators refused to pass by me, unwilling even to tolerate my presence. Again, I refused, unwilling to legitimize antisemitic exclusion. I am a human being, it is my workplace, I have the right to exist.
Standing completely isolated and publicly humiliated, I was openly attacked by colleagues siding with the demonstrators. One colleague loudly declared explicitly for demonstrators to hear: “These are autonomous students demonstrating for a very important cause, and you’re here only to provoke trouble — disgusting.” Another colleague repeatedly insisted, “They want you to stop!” When I calmly replied that I understood but would not comply, the colleague persisted: “If you don’t stop, they won’t leave.” To this, I responded: “I do not negotiate with terrorists.”
Students shouted accusations at me, openly suggesting I was being paid to film them. A senior security official, with a student triumphantly nodding beside her, explicitly asserted: “It is okay to say this about Zionists because Zionism is a conviction.” Thus, my colleagues validated antisemitic hostility, accusing me of “refusing to cooperate with de-escalation,” perversely shifting responsibility onto me — the victim.
When I announced my intention to formally report this intimidation, campus security — on whom I depend for protection due to ongoing threats — informed me in that case that I would stand entirely alone against the institutional establishment. With a nauseating feeling of fear in my stomach and my blood sugar rising to extreme highs — I am diabetic — I managed to say quietly, without any sense of bravery: “So be it.”
I stood alone, symbolic of the isolation imposed upon Jewish students and faculty nationwide. Today, I require a security escort simply to reach my classroom safely.
How did it come to this? It began subtly, with silence and hesitation in the face of rising hostility toward Jews. Institutional failure to challenge antisemitic rhetoric disguised as political critique allowed it to flourish unchecked. Academic colleagues, driven by fear, ideology, or convenience, chose complicity over courage. Municipal and national authorities selectively demonized Israel, legitimizing antisemitic discourse. Ultimately, it solidified through media, cultural institutions, and even Holocaust and genocide scholars abdicating moral responsibility, lending legitimacy to distorted accusations against Jews and Israel — with devastating results.
Recently, we once again witnessed the consequences of antisemitic incitement. Two young Israeli embassy employees — a couple soon to be engaged — were brutally murdered outside the Jewish Museum in Washington. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded: “We are witnessing the heavy price we pay for antisemitism and incitement against Israel. Hatred against Israel costs lives, and we will fight it until the bitter end.” Indeed, this toxic incitement thrives not only abroad but also here in the Netherlands, actively fueled by respectable Dutch institutions.
In 1898, Émile Zola published his historic open letter J’accuse!, confronting institutional antisemitism against Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish officer falsely accused of treason. Today, inspired by Zola’s moral clarity, I explicitly accuse the Netherlands of a similar profound ethical collapse.
I explicitly accuse Dutch universities of fostering hostile environments for Zionist students, professors, and speakers. Jewish students increasingly report isolation, fear, and self-censorship regarding their identity or support for Israel. I moreover accuse these institutions of double standards and cowardice for investigating and cutting ties with Israeli partners.
I explicitly accuse Maastricht University of tolerating antisemitic disruptions. Scholar Rawan Osman’s lecture on March 12, 2025, was disrupted by demonstrators openly chanting antisemitic slogans, yet the university imposed no meaningful consequences. Subsequently, a lecture by Jewish activist Shabbos Kestenbaum was canceled due to alleged security concerns, effectively rewarding intimidation. At the same time, Maastricht maintains active ties with Iranian universities explicitly affiliated with a regime notorious for hostility toward Israel — a profound institutional hypocrisy. I accuse Maastricht University of tolerating explicit calls to “kill all Zionists.”
I explicitly accuse Erasmus University Rotterdam of severe ethical complicity for hosting Francesca Albanese, a controversial UN rapporteur accused by UN Watch of receiving undisclosed funding from pro-Hamas lobbying groups.
I explicitly accuse Dutch municipalities, historically uninvolved in foreign affairs, of unprecedented selective hostility toward Israel, publicly condemning Israeli actions while remaining silent about atrocities committed by oppressive regimes. Municipal authorities nationwide tolerate widespread antisemitic vandalism, implicitly endorsing antisemitism and moral decay.
I explicitly accuse Femke Halsema, mayor of Amsterdam, of profound moral hypocrisy. Mayor Halsema accused Israel of “genocide,” yet deliberately withdrew the term “pogrom” when describing violent antisemitic attacks in Amsterdam. Her administration notably failed to intervene effectively during violent disruptions at the opening of Amsterdam’s Holocaust Museum.
I explicitly accuse Dutch Minister of Education Eppo Bruins of profound moral negligence, consistently evading responsibility by hiding behind university autonomy, even as Jewish students report intimidation and fear. Explicit calls for violence against Zionists remain unanswered, allowing antisemitism to thrive unchecked.
I explicitly accuse Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp of diplomatic hypocrisy, urging EU scrutiny of Israel’s legitimacy while informally hosting Francesca Albanese, despite clear evidence detailing her pro-terrorist affiliations.
I explicitly accuse Dutch Holocaust and genocide scholars and their institutes of ethical abdication. By endorsing unfounded accusations of genocide against Israel, they trivialize genuine historical atrocities and misuse their moral mandates.
Today, we stand at a critical moral crossroads — not just in the Netherlands, but globally — as antisemitism and hostility toward Jewish communities surge alarmingly. To every reader, I urgently appeal: Write your own J’accuse. Speak openly against institutional silence and complicity — even if you must stand alone. Refuse antisemitism masquerading as political critique, academic freedom, or cultural expression. Demand accountability, moral clarity, and historical integrity from all institutions and leaders.
As for those whom I accuse: I await openly and publicly, ready to be held accountable for my words — but also demanding accountability from those whose silence and complicity brought us here.
I await. Alone.
The author is Associate Professor at Maastricht University. You can find more information about the situation on Dutch campuses here.
The post I Accuse: The Collapse of Moral Integrity in the Netherlands first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Israel Pounds Gaza City Suburbs, Vows to Press on with Offensive

Smoke rises following an Israeli strike, in Gaza City, August 24, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Israeli planes and tanks pounded the eastern and northern outskirts of Gaza City overnight Saturday to Sunday, destroying buildings and homes, residents said, as Israeli leaders vowed to press on with a planned offensive on the city.
Witnesses reported the sound of explosions non-stop overnight in the areas of Zeitoun and Shejaia, while tanks shelled houses and roads in the nearby Sabra neighborhood and several buildings were blown up in the northern town of Jabalia.
Fire lit the skies from the direction of the explosions, causing panic, prompting some families to stream out of the city. Others said they would prefer to die and not leave.
The Israeli military said on Sunday that its forces have returned to combat in the Jabalia area in recent days, to dismantle militant tunnels and strengthen control of the area.
It added that the operation there “enables the expansion of combat into additional areas and prevents Hamas terrorists from returning to operate in these areas.”
Israel approved a plan this month to seize control of Gaza City, describing it as the last bastion of Hamas. It is not expected to begin for a few weeks, leaving room for mediators Egypt and Qatar to try and resume ceasefire talks.
Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz on Sunday vowed to press on with the offensive on the city where famine has been declared, which has raised alarm abroad and objections at home. Katz has said that Gaza City will be razed unless Hamas agrees to end the war on Israel’s terms and release all hostages.
Hamas said in a statement on Sunday that Israel’s plan to take over Gaza City showed it wasn’t serious about a ceasefire.
It said a ceasefire agreement was “the only way to return the hostages,” holding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responsible for their lives.
The proposal on the table calls for a 60-day ceasefire and the release of 10 living hostages held in Gaza and of 18 bodies. In turn, Israel would release about 200 long-serving Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Once a temporary ceasefire begins, the proposal is for Hamas and Israel to begin negotiations on a permanent ceasefire that would include the return of the remaining hostages.
On Thursday, Netanyahu said that Israel would immediately resume negotiations for the release of all 50 hostages – of whom Israel believes around 20 are still living – and an end to the nearly two-year-old war but on terms acceptable to Israel.
‘HUNGRY AND AFRAID’
Around half of the enclave’s two million people currently live in Gaza City. A few thousand have already left, carrying their belongings on vehicles and rickshaws.
“I stopped counting the times I had to take my wife and three daughters and leave my home in Gaza City,” said Mohammad, 40, via a chat app. “No place is safe, but I can’t take the risk. If they suddenly begin the invasion, they will use heavy fire.”
Others said they will not leave, no matter what.
“We are not leaving, let them bomb us at home,” said Aya, 31, who has a family of eight, adding that they couldn’t afford to buy a tent or pay for the transportation, even if they did try to leave. “We are hungry, afraid and don’t have money.”
A global hunger monitor said on Friday that Gaza City and surrounding areas are officially suffering from famine that will likely spread. Israel has rejected the assessment and says it ignores steps it has taken since late July to increase aid.
The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led gunmen burst into southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mainly civilians, and taking 251 hostages.
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Iran Signals Willingness to Scale Back Uranium Enrichment to Ease Tensions

Atomic symbol and USA and Iranian flags are seen in this illustration taken, September 8, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
i24 News – Iran may be prepared to significantly reduce its uranium enrichment levels in a bid to stave off renewed UN sanctions and limit the risk of further strikes by Israel and the United States, according to a report published Sunday in The Telegraph.
Citing Iranian sources, the paper said Tehran is considering lowering enrichment from 60% to 20%.
The move is reportedly being championed by Ali Larijani, the newly appointed secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, who is holding talks with regime leaders.
“Larijani is trying to convince the system to reduce the level of enrichment in order to avoid further war,” a senior Iranian official told the paper.
The proposal, however, faces stiff resistance from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which has long opposed concessions on the nuclear program. Still, the report suggests Iran’s leadership may be open to greater flexibility, including the possibility of reviving engagement with Western powers.
Last month, i24NEWS reported exclusively that a delegation from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is expected to travel to Iran. The team of technical experts would seek to resume monitoring of nuclear sites, inspections that have been heavily restricted in recent years.
The development comes amid mounting regional tensions and could represent a critical turning point in the long-running nuclear standoff.
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Major Brush Fire Erupts Near Jerusalem, Evacuations Underway

A view of the new Tel Aviv-Jerusalem fast train seen over the HaArazim Valley (“Valley of Cedars”) just outside of Jerusalem, Sept. 25, 2018. Photo: Yossi Zamir/Flash90.
i24 News – A large brush fire broke out Sunday in the Cedars Valley area, near Route 1 and the Motza interchange, prompting an emergency response from Jerusalem district fire services. Several water-bombing planes were dispatched, and authorities have declared a “fire emergency.”
As a precaution, residents of Mevaseret Zion are being evacuated. Access to the town from Route 1 has already been blocked, and officials are weighing a full closure of the major highway.
Fire crews from the Ha’uma station are on site working to contain the flames, while motorists in the area are urged to heed traffic updates and follow instructions from emergency services.
Eight firefighting aircraft are currently operating above the blaze in support of ground teams. The fire comes amid one of the hottest, driest summers on record, with conditions fueling a series of destructive wildfires across the country.
Officials warn the situation remains critical, as the blaze threatens a vital transportation corridor leading into Jerusalem.