AMSTERDAM/BRUSSELS — Students in the Netherlands and Belgium occupied parts of the universities of Amsterdam and Ghent on Monday to protest against Israel’s war against Hamas, joining international student protests inspired by those on US campuses.

At a campus of the University of Amsterdam (UvA) in downtown Amsterdam, hundreds of students set up camp, pitching dozens of tents, playing in drum circles, and barricading access with wooden pallets.

The students want UvA and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) to stop their partnerships with Israel.

In neighboring Belgium, some 100 students also occupied a part of Ghent’s university, UGent.

Footage shared on social media shows students surrounded by tents chanting, “Hey hey, ho ho, the occupation has to go” in one of UGent’s buildings.

  • Linkerbaan@lemmy.worldOP
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    6 months ago

    They’re the same thing.

    Being Pro Jewish means you’re anti Nazi.

    Being pro South Africa means you’re anti Apartheid

    Being pro Palestine means you’re anti israel.

    • kwomp2
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      6 months ago

      No. You identify a state with its govenment and both with the people. Any progressive vision of history would be off the table if you were right.

      I understand the impetus in face of a horrible situation, but it doesn’t help.

      Imagine talking to progressives on either side. That kind of simplification only makes sense from a total outside view.

      Hope lies in understanding societies inner conflicts. Change for the better just as well

      Edit: the amount of f’s and o’s for a given o or t respectively, is difficult for me

    • Deebster@programming.dev
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      6 months ago

      I am pro both existing side by side, which is pro-Palestine and pro-Israel. Are you calling the many Israelis who would like to peacefully co-exist anti-Israel?

      • timidgoat@lemmy.ca
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        6 months ago

        I think it’s important to remember that for most people, anti-Israel does not mean Israel cannot exist at all. It is that the Israel we know, cannot continue to exist in the way that it is. Similarly to being anti-South African apartheid did not mean all the settlers had to be leave, it meant the country had to fundamentally change the way it operates and treated the its citizens.

        To add, if you are calling yourself pro-Israel, I think you should be aware that for most people that means you are a-okay with how Israel has been oppressing and murdering Palestinians for decades.

        • Deebster@programming.dev
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          6 months ago

          I disagree that being in favour of something means you agree with everything they do, but for the record, I’ve been to Palestine several times and I didn’t liked what Israel was doing back then, let alone the current disgusting atrocities that Netanyahu’s currently perpetuating.

          • timidgoat@lemmy.ca
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            6 months ago

            I didn’t intend to say being pro-Israel means you’re okay with everything they do. What I’m trying to say is that in my experience, people interpret “pro-Israel” as being in support of the way in which Israel exists, namely an apartheid an ethnostate.

            I’m envious of your trips to Palestine. One day I’ll get there. I have friends who said they will take me one day.

            • Deebster@programming.dev
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              6 months ago

              Really I was arguing with the “anti-Israel” part, since I don’t think that’s merely interpreted as meaning you’re not in favour of Israeli policy. I was attempting to agree with the top of the thread’s implication that “anti-Israel” feels like it’s been used as a short step away from “antisemitic”, which Israel has a long history of using in the face of any criticism.

        • kwomp2
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          6 months ago

          Yeah and you would not have said “I’m anti south-africa”, but add “apartheid”, for good reasons and as you just did

          • Linkerbaan@lemmy.worldOP
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            6 months ago

            Indeed. Which is why we say free Palestine from israel. Israel is the occupation.

      • Linkerbaan@lemmy.worldOP
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        6 months ago

        Can the Nazis and the Jews exist at the same time?

        Are you calling the many Israelis who would like to peacefully co-exist anti-Israel?

        Yes of course they are anti israel. They wish to co-exist in harmony under a single state called Palestine. Changing the governing structure doesn’t mean everyone has to leave.

      • Linkerbaan@lemmy.worldOP
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        6 months ago

        If you support the Jews you oppose the Nazis

        Notice that we did not murder all Germans after WW2.

        If you support South Africa you oppose the Apartheid

        Notice that we did not murder all white people after ending Apartheid.