A lecturer at the University of Copenhagen has sparked outrage in Denmark after opening a class at the law faculty with a slide reading: “Death Death to the IDF.”
Israel’s embassy in Copenhagen strongly condemned the incident, calling it “unacceptable and deeply concerning.” The university said it was reviewing the matter and treating it seriously.
The lecturer, however, received support from some law students. According to posts circulated on social media, many students reacted positively in an internal Facebook group for law students.
Screenshots shared online showed anonymous users praising the lecturer, with comments including “legend” and “he should get a medal,” alongside broader support for his remarks.
The Israeli Embassy in Denmark called for meaningful action against the lecturer. In a statement posted on social media, the embassy said it appreciated that the University of Copenhagen was taking the matter seriously, but expected “the consequences to reflect the severity of the actions.”
“A person who calls for violence or incites violence is not fit to be entrusted with a teaching role, nor should they be responsible for students who are entitled to a safe and respectful learning environment at all times,” the embassy said.
The European Jewish Congress also expressed concern over the incident.
“We are deeply concerned by this affair,” the organization said. “Calls for death and violence have no place in academic institutions. Universities should promote critical thinking, dialogue and respectful debate, not rhetoric that normalizes hatred or glorifies violence.”
The group added that although the University of Copenhagen acknowledged the material was not a legitimate part of teaching, the incident raised serious concerns about the climate facing Jewish and Israeli students on European campuses.