On Monday 13 May, the AHK Executive Board and the directors of the academies shared the message below with students and staff. At the request of a number of students and staff, we are now also publishing it here.

"Dear students and colleagues,

For over six months, we have witnessed the terrible events in Israel and Gaza. The suffering of victims is heartbreaking and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deeply saddening. As directors of the academies and Executive Board of the AHK, we endorse the international calls for an immediate ceasefire and support the international court's ruling that Israel must ensure the passage for humanitarian aid into Gaza and that Hamas releases all hostages as soon as possible. The humanitarian disaster currently unfolding must be stopped.

In the past week, demonstrations were held at several educational institutions in the Netherlands demanding an immediate breach of ties with Israeli institutions. We understand the need to offer space for these sentiments. Freedom of speech is a fundamental democratic right, as is the right to demonstrate. At the same time, an educational institution is a place to discuss current social, ethical and moral issues, with respect for the opinions of others. Within the AHK we have more than three thousand students and one thousand staff members, with diverse views and feelings. These should all be treated respectfully. In recent months we have called upon you to stay in dialogue with each other and to remain open to each other's opinions. We want to repeat that call here: dare to ask each other non-judgmental questions to understand the other's position and to allow different opinions.

The arts have the power to exchange opinions in a non-violent way, show different perspectives and start an open dialogue. Education is the place where we can learn how to create understanding of divergent views instead of reinforcing oppositions. Let us use the space provided by art and education to prevent polarisation, knowing that we cannot dissolve this conflict within the walls of our institution. 

Educational institutions are currently being questioned about their ties with Israeli (partner) institutions. Within the AHK, only the Breitner Academy has an exchange programme under the Erasmus+ programme with Beit Berl College and specifically the Hamidrasha Faculty of Arts north of Tel Aviv. This is a study program for visual art teachers with a curriculum that has many similarities with the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Education at the Breitner Academy. The choice to cooperate with Hamidrasha was made because this academy has a has a mixed population of Israeli students and teachers with both Jewish and Palestinian identities, and is actively involved in initiatives concerning multicultural and equal society issues. The academy's director, Yael Tamir, is the founder of the Israeli peace movement 'Peace Now'. Student exchanges with Hamidrasha have been on hold for over a year now given the situation in the region. If the situation changes, we will carefully examine and question possible forms and desirability of exchange, based on the ethical framework we will be working on in the coming period for all of our collaborations with international institutions.

Let us hope that a solution to the appalling situation for the inhabitants of Gaza and the hostages will be found very soon. In the meantime, our unabated support goes to anyone who has relatives in the region, Palestinian or Israeli, or feels otherwise connected to them.

Take care of yourself and those around you!"

Annet Lekkerkerker en David van Traa, Executive Board
Mechtild van den Hombergh (director) and Anthony Heidweiller (deputy director), Academy of Theatre and Dance
Iris Eshel, director Breitner Academy
Madeleine Maaskant, director Academy of Architecture
Bart Römer, director Netherlands Film Academy
Okke Westdorp, director Conservatorium van Amsterdam
Roger de la Chambre, on behalf of Nel van Dijk, director Reinwardt Academie
Patrick Waller, director Service Bureau