A Berlin university is taken to court for antisemitism

An administrative court in Berlin has taken a crucial step in the fight against antisemitism by authorizing Lahav Shapira, a Jewish student assaulted in February 2024, to take the Free University of Berlin (FU) to court for its alleged inaction in the face of acts of antisemitic hatred.

The complaint doesn't refer only to a physical attack. Shapira keeps that the university has failed in its legal duty to protect students from discrimination, as stipulated by Section 5b (2) of the Berlin Higher Education Act.

This provision requires universities to prevent discrimination on the grounds of ethnic origin or antisemitic attribution, and to eliminate it when it exists.

During the hearing, Shapira described how pro-Palestinian student groups have organized events with openly antisemitic slogans under titles such as "How We Globalize the Intifada." In that environment, he explained, attending classes means accepting insults and, in some cases, even encountering blocked classrooms.

Judge Edgar Fischer considered that there are sufficient grounds to proceed to trial, which will be held in October. "The university will have to explain what measures it has taken to protect its Jewish students," stated Shapira's attorney, Kristin Pietrzyk, who celebrated the decision as "a great success."

Antisemitic attacks have multiplied in Europe since October 7, 2023.

Meanwhile, voices from civil society are also rising in support of the student. Heike Kleffner, director of the Association of Victims of Far-Right Violence and Antisemitism, emphasized that the case is of essential importance: "Universities have a legal and moral obligation to guarantee the safety and dignity of all their students."

The trial will not only put Berlin's FU to the test, but also the commitment of European institutions to the fight against antisemitism.