Dutch School Director Refuses Israeli Student Over Gaza War Stance
Translated & summarized from i24NEWS by baba
An Israeli man was denied enrollment in a Dutch language course after the school director demanded he condemn the war in Gaza. The director called the man's refusal to label the conflict as genocide "denial" and terminated the interview. The incident has sparked outrage and is being investigated as discrimination.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Dutch school director refused Israeli student over Gaza war stance.
- Director demanded condemnation of war as condition for enrollment.
- Student cited uncle's death on Oct 7, denied genocide claim.
- Incident investigated as discrimination by Dutch authorities.
- Jewish community organization cites pattern of exclusion.
An Israeli citizen living in the Netherlands, identified only as Jonathan, was denied admission to a private language course in Rotterdam after the school's director, Max Coden, demanded he condemn the war in Gaza. During an online Zoom interview on September 18, Coden, who was aware Jonathan was a former IDF soldier, stated he only wanted to work with individuals who shared his view on the "genocide of the Palestinian people." He insisted that if Jonathan opposed his government's actions, he needed to know before proceeding.
Jonathan explained that the situation was complex, mentioning that his uncle was killed in the October 7th Hamas attack. He stated he did not believe a deliberate genocide was occurring and that the events had not been independently investigated. Coden then called Jonathan's position "denial," declared that "genocide denial is one of the worst things one can do in life," and terminated the call, insisting he only wanted "anti-genocide" individuals.
Coden later boasted about the incident on social media, calling it a "moral boundary." Jonathan expressed frustration, stating he had come to learn Dutch and was ambushed, urging not to be judged by his background but as a human being.
The incident has caused significant controversy in the Netherlands. The national coordinator for combating antisemitism, an advisor to the Dutch government, reviewed the recording and concluded that requiring someone to express an opinion based on their background as a condition for admission constitutes unequal treatment and discrimination.
Following the incident, the CIDI, the umbrella organization for the Jewish community in the Netherlands, has approached the Dutch Human Rights Institute, citing a pattern of excluding Israelis and Jews. The national anti-discrimination center, Discriminatie.nl, is also examining the complaint, with potential for police involvement.
