Dutch university reinstates Holocaust course canceled after pro-Palestinian lobbying

A university in the Netherlands recently canceled a planned series of lectures about the Holocaust, reportedly amid pressure by a pro-Palestinian lobby group, but reinstated the course after uproar from politicians and the Jewish community.

In an about-face, HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht will run the series of eight lectures as planned beginning on February 7.

The development came following a few turbulent days, during which the university at first announced that it was canceling the lectures, and then said it was delaying them indefinitely, given concerns that “the security of speakers, students, teachers, and visitors cannot be assured.”

It also tied the course material to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip that began with the Palestinian terror group’s devastating October 7 assault.

A Utrecht pro-Palestinian group, New Neighbors, claimed to have lobbied for the course to be canceled.

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