UdK President: “Difficult situation”
Student representatives complain about the climate of violence
February 10, 2024, 12:18 a.m
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Two student organizations paint a frightening picture of everyday life at German universities: Left-wing extremists and anti-Semitic activists created a climate of oppression and fear. UdK President Palz calls for the possibility of exmatriculation.
In the debate about pro-Palestinian activism at German universities, the Jewish Student Union (JSUD) and the Ring of Christian Democratic Students (RCDS) are warning of growing anti-Semitism and a lack of freedom of expression. “Exclusions of democratic comrades-in-arms from events, counter-demonstrations that question Israel’s right to exist, and physical attacks on Jewish students characterize everyday discourse at universities,” says a joint statement from RCDS chairman Lukas Honemann and JSUD vice-president Noam Petri, which is available to the Editorial Network Germany (RND). “They are the product of a growing influence of extremist students,” it continues. The JSUD is a cross-party, politically independent Jewish student organization. The RCDS is a student association close to the CDU.
The student organizations referred to three incidents. On Wednesday, at a general assembly at the University of Kassel on the topic of “freedom of expression”, pro-Palestinian statements were welcome, but the RCDS was only allowed to speak after a protest. On Thursday, anti-Israel activists forced the cancellation of a panel discussion at the Humboldt University in Berlin, which was attended by a judge from Israel’s Supreme Court. The attack on the Jewish student at the Free University of Berlin, Lahav Shapira, was the “sad climax of a steady development since the Hamas massacre on October 7th.”
Spread of extremism
Honemann expressed concern to the RND: “We are currently experiencing cancel culture instead of discourse, a ban on speech instead of freedom of expression.” Noam Petri emphasized: “The increasing spread of these extremists must concern every democrat. These groups with their left-wing extremist, partly Islamist and anti-Western ideas must have no place at German universities.” Universities are increasingly becoming a “place of anti-Western radicalization,” both student representatives criticized.
The JSUD and the RCDS call on the university management and education ministers to take action. “There needs to be a turning point in educational policy with a consistent policy against extremist currents within German universities,” the statement says. “It must also be possible to expel extremist students or dismiss relevant staff.”
UdK: “Jewish students very, very scared”
The President of the Berlin University of the Arts (UdK), Norbert Palz, also spoke openly to the “Tagesspiegel” about a very difficult situation at his university. When asked whether the UdK had an anti-Semitism problem, Palz answered yes – “in certain groups, we can’t argue that away: at the moment the situation is very polarized.” At the same time, Palz pointed to a statement that has now been published that shows that many are more differentiated and are taking a position against anti-Semitism. Dozens of teachers took a stand against anti-Semitism at the UdK and criticized student gatherings in November 2023 as “violent anti-Semitic protests and actions”.
Palz summarized another problematic trend as a “democracy problem” at the university: some students and some teachers are no longer able to compromise. However, university policy and committees thrive on being able to engage with other perspectives – “that frustrates many people.”
The president reported that he has a WhatsApp group with Jewish and Israeli students to stay up to date and be available to them. They were “very, very scared”. He knows of a Jewish person who was spat on outside of campus, and a Jewish student is considering changing universities. He wanted to show them: “We have a protective hand over you.”