Antisemitism at a University in Portugal and Threats Against an Israeli Doctoral Student: 'Sinwar is a Hero'
Portugal's prosecution has been asked to investigate complaints of antisemitism at the University of Coimbra, including threats against an Israeli doctoral student. Student Bar Har'el reported posters, Hezbollah flags, and death threats. The university denies the claims, saying the complaints were general. Israel's embassy welcomed the decision.
Portugal's attorney general has been asked to open a criminal investigation into suspected antisemitism, discrimination, and incitement to hatred at the University of Coimbra, following complaints by an Israeli-American-Portuguese doctoral student named Bar Har'el. According to the complaint, between July 2024 and May 2026, antisemitic posters and graffiti were placed in various faculties, Hezbollah flags were raised, and images supporting Hamas were displayed, including a poster calling Yahya Sinwar a "hero." Har'el was the target of death threats, including "your family deserves a second Holocaust," and after an alleged physical assault, he abandoned his doctoral studies in computer engineering. The Ministry of Higher Education approached Attorney General Amadeu Guerra, and the referral is based on an official letter from May 22. This followed a decision by the Portuguese ombudsman in March 2026, which found that the university failed to handle complaints and showed "substantial passivity." The university responded that the complaints were general and unverifiable, and that the posters were not found on campus. Israel's embassy in Lisbon welcomed the decision and called for investigating additional cases.