Portuguese gov't demands investigation for antisemitic threats against Israeli doctoral student

Portugal’s attorney general has been asked to open a criminal investigation into alleged antisemitism, incitement, and threats at the University of Coimbra, following complaints by an Israeli-American-Portuguese doctoral student who claims he was targeted by hostile posters, Hezbollah flags, death threats, and physical assault.

The case, which centers on the experiences of Bar Harel, a computer engineering doctoral student, has escalated to the highest levels of the Portuguese government. Following an official letter from the Portuguese prime minister’s office to the Higher Education Ministry in May, the ministry referred the case to Attorney General Amadeu Guerra, as well as to the central criminal investigation department and prosecutors in Coimbra.

The ministry has requested a formal investigation into potential offenses including discrimination, incitement to hatred and violence, threats, bodily harm, and the public glorification of terrorist organizations.

Harel, who has since abandoned his doctoral studies at the institution, documented a campaign of harassment that he noted began immediately following the events of October 7, 2023. In a statement to The Jerusalem Post, Harel explained, “The situation started after October 7, less than a week after the war began; we were already accused of genocide in city protests and in protests against us that happened inside university facilities. Around May, 2024, the protests increased, and stickers containing hateful statements appeared throughout the city.”

In his complaints, Harel detailed a campus environment where antisemitic graffiti, including swastikas, defaced various university faculties, including Law, Medicine, and Engineering. He reported that flags belonging to Hamas and Hezbollah were flown on campus, and that posters displayed slogans such as “Zionists should carry a certificate to prove they’re human,” “Death to the IDF,” and “Yahya Sinwar is a hero.”

Harel details threats and alleged assault

According to Harel’s testimony, he was subjected to direct threats, including the statement, “Your family deserves a second Holocaust,” and was allegedly physically assaulted while carrying an Israeli flag on his bag. Harel also detailed being doxxed online, where he was labeled a “war criminal” and targeted with flyers claiming he should not be allowed to buy food in local establishments. Regarding the escalation of the backlash, Harel stated to the Post: “After I complained and received inadequate responses, I started documenting everything and published research; that’s when everything went south.”

The attorney general’s involvement follows a March 2026 ruling by Portugal’s ombudsman, which criticized the University of Coimbra for “substantial passivity.” The ombudsman found that the institution failed to take appropriate steps to prevent, reduce, or resolve the hostile environment Harel faced.

Furthermore, the report noted that the university had threatened Harel with legal action should he bring the matter to the public eye, a move the ombudsman described as an infringement of his fundamental rights.

The University of Coimbra has rejected these allegations, asserting in a public statement that the posters mentioned in the student’s complaints were “not found on campus” and that the allegations lacked concrete details or identification of those involved.

However, pushing back against the university’s claim that there was no evidence of the hateful materials, Harel provided documentation to the Post, including a collection of dozens of hostile stickers that he personally removed from university outer walls featuring slogans such as “Sinwar the King,” “Zionists give me the creeps,” “One watermelon a day keeps Zionists away,” “Stop torturing Palestinians in Sde Teiman,” and “Israel is a fake state from hell.”

Portuguese authorities asked to investigate

According to Harel, “Some of these signs were produced from a workshop facilitated at Ulisbon (University of Lisbon) with the designs made by a UC professor.” Harel provided the Post with photos allegedly taken during the workshop.

The Israeli Embassy in Portugal expressed support for the authorities’ intervention. In a statement posted to its official Facebook page, the embassy welcomed the decision to open a criminal investigation, stating, “We call on all authorities to continue the fight against antisemitism and also to investigate other cases that we, as an embassy, have already brought to their attention.”

As the investigation proceeds, Harel told the Post, “I thank the Portuguese authorities for starting the criminal investigation. The evidence speaks for itself. I’m grateful for the support I received along the way from IJL, the International Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists, and from the Portuguese people who signed a letter to the Prime Minister’s Office and demanded justice.”