Large crowds attended the lecture by Prof Dr Meron Mendel at h_da. The Director of the Anne Frank Educational Centre and recipient of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany spoke to a packed auditorium of over 150 people on the topic: The campus as a ‘safe space’? Racism, anti-Semitism and the debate about the Gaza war. You can watch the recording of the lecture here: https://electures.h-da.de/paella7/ui/watch.html?id=d601d7b9-55c5-4b0f-b0f9-db12b1022237 

Prof Dr Meron Mendel described the attempt to ensure and tolerate diversity of opinion on campus and at the same time make the university a non-discriminatory space, a ‘safe space’, as a ‘tug-of-war between the poles’. But how can this be achieved? Mendel pleaded for dialogue, a willingness to engage in dialogue and the goal of steering debates in a constructive direction.

For him, it is important that people in a liberal society can familiarise themselves with different positions in order to form their own opinions and attitudes. However, if a university offers these positions a stage, this does not mean that it automatically shares the respective positions. This is also the practice at h_da: under the principle of freedom of opinion, it tolerates young people wanting to express their views on the Middle East conflict on campus as long as this is compatible with the democratic and peaceful basic order, said h_da President Prof. Dr Arnd Steinmetz in his welcoming address.

Prof Dr Meron Mendel observed that in many debates a group affiliation is now developing, as in football stadiums. Many people see themselves as being on the right moral side and ‘entrench themselves in their echo chambers’. This is also evident at h_da, as President Prof Dr Arnd Steinmetz explained. More and more often, the university sees itself called upon and pressurised, mostly by activists and individuals, to position itself and choose a side. The h_da, on the other hand, relies on dialogue and the willingness to tolerate different attitudes.

Prof. Dr Meron Mendel pleaded for a kind of healthy antagonism instead of enmity in dialogue, but this requires common rules. At the same time, he spoke out against any form of anti-humanism - and in favour of rapprochement. In the case of the Middle East conflict, he cited the Hagar School in Israel as an example: a joint, peaceful project between Israelis and Palestinians.

Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences will continue to offer dialogue-oriented courses on the Middle East conflict and will continue to include the topic in its teaching in the future. All members of the university can contact Prof. Dr Beate Galm and her team at the Anti-Discrimination Office if they have any questions on the topic: https://h-da.de/antidiskriminierung

Text: Simon Colin, Editor University Communications

About Meron Mendel

Meron Mendel (*1976) is a publicist, professor of social work and director of the Anne Frank Educational Centre. His book ‘Über Israel reden. Eine deutsche Debatte’, KiWi Verlag 2023 (engl.: Talking about Israel. A German debate ) was nominated for the German Non-Fiction Prize 2023. In September 2024, he and Saba-Nur Chema published the book ‘Muslimisch-jüdisches Abendbrot. Das Miteinander in Zeiten der Polarisierung’ (Muslim-Jewish Evening Meal. Coexistence in times of polarisation) was published by KiWi Verlag. On 1 October 2024, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier awarded Saba-Nur Cheema and Meron Mendel the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Translation by DeepL