Dutch Lecturer Leaves University Amid Antisemitism Concerns Over Pro-Palestinian Remarks

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

NIJMEGEN, NETHERLANDS (Worthy News) – A British-born academic has left Radboud University in the Netherlands amid rising concerns about antisemitism on Dutch campuses following his highly controversial social-media comments defending Palestinian violence against Israel.

Social geographer and assistant professor Harry Pettit confirmed that he and the Nijmegen-based Radboud University, one of the Netherlands’ leading Catholic-origin institutions, had agreed to part ways “after an intensive process that lasted several months.”

University officials said Pettit’s public statements were “not in line with the university’s code of conduct.”

Pettit drew widespread criticism after posting on X, the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter, that it was time to “finish what the Palestinians started on October 7.” That was the day Hamas militants carried out the deadliest-ever attack on Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking some 250 hostages.

He also publicly compared Zionism to Nazism, expressed support for armed Palestinian resistance, and accused Israel of “apartheid and genocide.”

The comments triggered outrage from Jewish groups and government officials. Dutch Education Minister Gouke Moes urged Radboud University to take disciplinary action, prompting Pettit to file a criminal complaint accusing the minister of abuse of authority.

ANTISEMITISM FEARS ON CAMPUS

The case has unfolded amid growing fears of antisemitism across Dutch universities since the Hamas-Israel war reignited tensions last year.

“I have spoken with too many Jewish students who no longer dare to attend class, both in and outside Nijmegen,” warned Mirjam Bikker, leader of the Christian Union (ChristenUnie) party.

“They hide their kippahs and tuck away their little Star of David necklaces because they’re afraid to show them — afraid they’ll immediately be questioned about their stance on Israel,” she added.

Jewish and Israeli students have reported being verbally harassed, excluded from group projects, and pressured to denounce Israel to avoid hostility on campus.

Several universities, including Radboud, say they have increased security and launched awareness programs against antisemitism and Islamophobia.

PETTIT’S RESPONSE AND BACKGROUND

Pettit said in a statement that he was leaving Radboud University “with relief,” calling the controversy a test of academic freedom.

He confirmed that he would transfer his European personal research grant to another university and donate his severance pay to charities supporting Palestinians.

Born in 1991 in Retford, England, Pettit studied geography at the London School of Economics, where he obtained his Ph.D. in 2017.

He later taught in Britain before joining Radboud University, where he focused on labor precarity and social inequality in the Middle East.

Petitt maintains that his posts were “expressions of solidarity” with Palestinians and not intended as hate speech.

BROADER DUTCH POLITICAL DEBATE

Dutch lawmakers are divided over how to balance freedom of expression with preventing incitement. Constitutional-law experts say universities must ensure that staff exercise restraint when their words can be seen as representing their institutions.

Radboud University, historically rooted in Roman Catholic traditions and now a public research university with over 24,000 students, has faced scrutiny for handling the case cautiously while protecting academic independence.

The Education Ministry said Pettit’s departure should “restore confidence” that universities can act responsibly, while the Christian Union and other centrist parties demand “clear boundaries” against hate speech disguised as academic opinion.

Pettit’s supporters, including pro-Palestinian activists, argue his ouster shows the shrinking space for dissent in European academia when it comes to Israel.

However, the tensions added to fear within the Dutch Jewish community of roughly 35,000 people, with some still remembering the Nazi-era when roughly 102,000 Dutch Jews perished in the Holocaust, also known as the Shoah.

As Dutch campuses grapple with polarization over the Middle East, Jewish students fear that the line between political expression and intimidation may be blurring — leaving them vulnerable.

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