Portugal Advances Investigation Into Alleged Antisemitism Against Israeli PhD Student at Coimbra University

Portuguese authorities are advancing an investigation into serious antisemitic incidents reported by Bar Harel, a former Israeli doctoral student at the University of Coimbra. The complaints include death threats, physical assault, and antisemitic messages targeting Jews and Israelis. The Portuguese government’s higher education body forwarded the case to the state prosecutor on August 6, requesting an inquiry into allegations of discrimination, incitement to hatred and violence, threats, physical harm, and public glorification of terrorism.

Bar Harel, who holds Israeli, American, and Portuguese citizenships, studied computer engineering at Coimbra, Portugal’s oldest university founded in 1290 and a UNESCO World Heritage site. The reported incidents occurred between July 2024 and May 2026 across multiple university locations. Harel described receiving threats such as "Your family deserves a second Holocaust" and being physically attacked, allegedly related to a small Israeli flag he carried. He also documented numerous antisemitic posters, stickers, graffiti, and pro-Hamas and Hezbollah messages displayed on campus walls.

During his studies, Harel compiled a 30-page report titled "Stickers of Hate - An Analysis of Antisemitism at the University of Coimbra," based on 405 photographs he took over ten months. His analysis found that 29% of the items were antisemitic, with 13% potentially constituting hate speech under Portuguese law. He noted 143 anti-Israel messages, including 33 calling for Israel’s destruction, and 157 pro-Palestinian items, nearly half supporting Hamas. Notably, he found no pro-Israel or peace-promoting messages among the materials.

The Israeli embassy in Portugal welcomed the investigation and urged authorities to continue combating antisemitism and examine other reported cases. The university has denied neglecting the complaints, stating it offered psychological support and that some claims lacked sufficient details for verification. Coimbra also alleged that Harel demanded three million euros to avoid legal action, a claim not confirmed by law enforcement. The prosecutor’s office has yet to publicly confirm opening a criminal investigation, and the case awaits further legal decisions.

This controversy has sparked criticism of the university’s handling of antisemitism complaints, with Portugal’s Public Complaints Commission finding the institution’s response insufficient. The Israeli embassy emphasized that the Coimbra case is not isolated and called for broader scrutiny of antisemitic incidents in Portugal.