Newsletter - March 2026
In this newsletter:
- Attack on Lebanese University
- LSP Meeting with Luc Sels
- Update on FNV/AoB petition to cut ties with Israeli institutions
- Praesidium Belli: can the university survive militarisation?
- Teachers: Tell Palestinian Stories!
- Upcoming Events: Calendar
Attack on Lebanese University
On 12 March, Israel bombed the Lebanese University, killing two senior academics: the director of the faculty of sciences at the south Beirut campus of the Lebanese University Hussein Bazzi, and Professor Mortada Srour.
Our colleagues in Lebanon developed this petition to send to the UN: "Targeting Universities is a War Crime". Please sign and circulate!
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd1c4h8ueQ7KMXQe5WStmdHNWZSw5ayiiUFSJkYFZ53AXMQYw/viewform
LSP Meeting with Luc Sels
On 26 February, a delegation of Leiden Scholars for Palestine spoke with the new chair of the executive board, Luc Sels. The meeting took place upon his invitation.
Luc Sels made it clear that the new board is still finding their feet, but that they are eager for the committee to finalize its recommendations, so the university can move on and take steps.
At the same time, he made clear that he wouldn’t commit to what such steps might entail. He pointed towards the policy at his former institution KU Leuven as an example, which has not instituted a blanket boycott, but has set clear parameters for all international collaborations. This has meant in practice that all bilateral collaborations with Israeli institutions were ceased and no new bilateral collaborations were started, while multilateral collaborations such as Horizon projects continue as long as the EU doesn’t cease its association agreement.
Leiden Scholars for Palestine emphasized that it demands a full academic boycott. We also made clear that the situation has been urgent and dire for so long and the lack of action is unacceptable.
We also discussed the effects of inaction on our academic community. We pointed out that staff and students have trouble teaching and learning about values, law and principles when their institution refuses to take accountability for its collaborations with partners complicit in atrocities. We explained that significant parts of the academic community are feeling more and more alienated from the university.
In this context, we also pointed to the repression of Palestine solidarity on campus. Sels expressed understanding and a willingness to break with this past, as also appears from the downscaling of the extra security measures on campus.
All in all, the tone was positive, but we will judge the board on actions, not words. It has been three weeks since the meeting and still no word from the human rights committee. Please take the time to remind them that their delay is inexcusable by sending an email to: [email protected]
Update on FNV/AoB petition to cut ties with Israeli institutions
More than 200 colleagues have signed the petition to cut ties with Israel, but we need more!
Help us circulate the petition, and encourage colleagues to sign, so we can put more pressure on our institution to stop complicity with genocide. More information here: https://www.fnv.nl/cao-sector/overheid/onderwijs-onderzoek/leiden-boycot?lang=en-US
Praesidium Belli: can the university survive militarisation?
Organized by Judith Naeff and Gjovalin Macaj
Wednesday 18 March 2026, 15:15-17:00. Wijnhaven 3.48=> please note that we may have to move to a bigger room
Universities in the Netherlands and across Europe are rapidly introducing new programmes for military purposes, facilitating rather than questioning militarisation. Militarisation of the university is the latest assault on an institution already under siege by market rationality. Can an institution that aspires to provide a sanctuary for independent thought - as Leiden’s motto ‘praesidium libertatis’ or ‘bulwark of freedom’ suggests - survive the logic of war that has already entered our campus? In this panel, experts in security, law, and the new peace movement reflect on the origins and consequences of the militarisation of the university, and explore avenues for resistance.
Speakers:
- Malte Riemann, UD defence and international affairs, Leiden University
- Michiel Bot, UHD law and humanities, Tilburg University
- Wendela de Vries, researcher and co-founder Stop Wapenhandel
Teachers: Tell Palestinian stories!
Wednesday, March 25, 2026, 15:00-17:00 Leiden University
Leiden Scholars for Palestine has been organizing meetings for secondary school teachers who want to create space for Palestinian culture and Palestinian stories in their teaching. We want to give marginalized voices a voice and actively combat dehumanization. This can be achieved by making small adjustments to existing curriculums, using examples from Palestinian literature, film, and art. We are inspired by the book "Teaching Palestine: Lessons, Stories, Voices" (2025).
The focus of the session of March 25 will be on works by Palestinian writers translated into Dutch and on the work of Palestinian/Dutch artists such as Ramsey Nasr, Stryder, and Saker Khadir. How can we incorporate these sources into our teaching? The language of this meeting will be Dutch.
Sign up by contacting Arthur Pormes at [email protected] .
