• Rawan Osman during a meeting with Israeli occupation’s president Isaac Herzog, on December 30, 2024 (@RawaneOsmane)

Radboud University in the Netherlands recently hosted a highly controversial event featuring Rawan Osman, a self-identified Arab Zionist, in collaboration with StandWithUs, an Israeli advocacy organization. The event, part of a broader tour at Dutch universities including Delft and Maastricht, sparked significant outrage as Osman used her platform to justify "Israel’s" occupation of Palestine while spewing openly racist rhetoric, referring to Palestinians as “losers” and “Arab m*nkeys".

The lecture was met with passionate opposition, culminating in a demonstration outside the university. Protesters, chanting “Say it loud, say it clear, Zionists not welcome here” disrupted the event. Some even entered the venue, confronting Osman directly. One protester was escorted out after calling Osman a “sellout” and highlighting the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Other activists took turns reading factual accounts of the situation in Gaza, challenging Osman’s narrative before being forcibly removed by security.

Rawan Osman was called out for spreading Zionist propaganda.

Yesterday, Radboud University in the Netherlands allowed the Israeli lobbying group StandWithUs to host a propaganda event featuring Rawan Osman, a self-proclaimed “Syrian/Lebanese” Zionist. As part of a broader tour… pic.twitter.com/NIhormT7id

— Suppressed News. (@SuppressedNws) March 12, 2025

Osman, a vocal defender of "Israel", has consistently supported its atrocities in Gaza since October 7, 2023. In a recent speech at the United Nations, she blamed Arab countries and Hamas for the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, totally absolving "Israel" of responsibility. During her Radboud lecture, she dismissed Palestinian suffering by stating, “Palestinians are the losers. We cannot erase history. When you wage a war, anywhere else in the world, you either win and dictate the rules, or you lose. This is why they are suffering.”

Outside, protesters chanted “Free Palestine,” to which Osman responded mockingly, saying, “Palestine was freed in 1948. Palestine does not exist. It is a project. An illegitimate project.” Her words, reflecting a dangerous denial of Palestinian identity and history, underscore the use of figures like Osman by Israeli advocacy groups to spread a narrative designed to normalize the Israeli occupation and ongoing genocide against Palestinians.

The strategic promotion of such voices by "Israel" reveals its propaganda efforts to whitewash its actions while justifying the violence and dehumanization of Palestinians. By offering a platform to individuals who openly incite hate and deny Palestinian suffering, "Israel" seeks to perpetuate a narrative that not only obscures the reality of its genocidal policies but also further entrenches a global indifference to the Palestinian plight. In doing so, the entity manipulates public discourse, deflecting attention away from the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and preventing the international community from holding it accountable.

In short, the use of figures like Osman is part of a broader, coordinated Israeli effort to obscure the truth, delegitimize Palestinian Resistance, and maintain an oppressive status quo.

Read more: UN experts accuse 'Israel' of genocide, sexual violence in Gaza