This Sunday, thousands will line the roads of the province of Limburg in the south of the Netherlands for the Amstel Gold Race, a beloved cycling event held annually since 1966. The race symbolizes community pride, international friendship, and Maastricht’s historical and European spirit. But this year, that spirit is being hijacked by a radical student group, Free Palestine Maastricht (FPM), which has publicly called to disrupt the event due to the participation of the Israeli cycling team, Israel – Premier Tech, co-founded by Israeli entrepreneur Ron Baron. One of their riders, Nadav Raisberg, is a promising young Israeli cyclist. According to FPM’s Instagram, their objection is based on claims of “sportwashing,” accusing Israel of using sports events to distract from alleged “genocide” and human rights violations against Palestinians.

FPM claims to be a solidarity group, yet since Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, it has promoted extremist rhetoric. On that tragic day, as Israelis and their friends were massacred, kidnapped, and raped, FPM celebrated Hamas’ attack as an “astonishing response,” glorifying violence openly on Instagram and embracing the paraglider as a symbol of celebration.

Even more troubling: Maastricht University provides institutional support to FPM via its Sustainability Hub. Using university facilities, in May 2024 FPM organized an occupation of........

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