Pro-Palestinian organization seeks to arrest an Israeli academic in the Netherlands
The Hind Rajab Foundation, an organization that pursues IDF soldiers around the world, announced today, Thursday, that it has filed, together with the European Legal Support Center (ELSC), an urgent criminal complaint against L.H., an Israeli academic, claiming that he is an "IDF reservist who committed war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide" during his service in the Gaza Strip. According to the organizations, L.H., who is affiliated with the Ben-Gurion University Debate Society, is in the country as a judge at the European Universities Debating Championship (EUDC), which is taking place at Utrecht University.
The Hind Rajab Foundation, an organization that pursues IDF soldiers around the world, announced today, Thursday, that it has filed, together with the European Legal Support Center (ELSC), an urgent criminal complaint against L.H., an Israeli academic, claiming that he is an "IDF reservist who committed war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide" during his service in the Gaza Strip.
According to the organizations, L.H., who is affiliated with the Ben-Gurion University Debate Society, is in the country as a judge at the European Universities Debating Championship (EUDC), which is taking place at Utrecht University.
The European Universities Debating Championship is one of the most prestigious academic debate competitions in the world. Every year, it brings together hundreds of students, judges, and coaches from dozens of universities across Europe for a five-day competition, in which debate rounds are held in English in the British Parliamentary format. This year, the championship is being held at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, between July 27 and July 31, and hundreds of competitors and judges from leading universities from all over the continent are participating. L.H. is listed on the event website as a judge for the competitions.
The complaint alleges that L.H. documented his activity as an armored corps soldier in the Gaza Strip on social media, and among other things, published videos documenting the destruction of a school building in Rafah. According to the organizations, in one of the videos he is heard saying cynically:
"Hello everyone, I'm going to school. How fun, what excitement."
And in another video, which documents the explosion of the building, it was written: "The school year ended earlier than expected. Urgent, what is the number for The Hague?".
The organizations claim that other posts of his during 2025 presented the destruction of civilian infrastructure as "entertainment," and that the very reference to the International Criminal Court in The Hague indicates, according to them, an awareness of the legal significance of his actions. It is further alleged that during his stay in the Netherlands, he "mocked pro-Palestinian protesters and called them 'pathetic'."
They complain that the authorities in the Netherlands have not yet taken steps against him, and that there is a fear that he will leave the country at the end of his visit before a decision is made regarding him.
The head of the litigation department at HRF, Natasha Brack, stated that L.H.:
"Not only participated in this - but also celebrated and mocked it. His presence in the Netherlands provides a unique opportunity to enforce international law."
