Nieuwe Instituut on developments in Israël and the occupied Palestinian territoriesNieuwe Instituut on developments in Israël and the occupied Palestinian territories

Nieuwe Instituut joins our colleagues, peers and communities in following the developments in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories with horror and concern. We are deeply troubled by the unimaginable destruction, suffering and loss of life the world is currently witnessing in Gaza at the hands of the Israeli government, and we firmly support calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.

We are also profoundly distraught over the abhorrent attacks and mass killings perpetrated by Hamas in Israel on 7 October; the safety and well-being of the Israeli and other citizens taken hostage by Hamas; the escalating Israeli settler assaults on Palestinian civilians in the West Bank; the potential for wider conflict in the region; and reports of rising antisemitism and Islamophobia closer to home. Everywhere, the violence must stop.

As a cultural institution based in the Netherlands, we are keenly aware of our power and privilege in responding to such disturbing events. While urgently calling for a ceasefire, and acknowledging the historical and ongoing atrocities that have fueled these cycles of violence, the Nieuwe Instituut is committed to addressing questions of injustice in collaboration with, and in support of, the local and international communities we serve. As a museum and institute for architecture, design and digital culture, we recognise how the spaces, objects and interactions we as humans create can be instrumentalised for brutality, terror and oppression. But equally, if not more so, we maintain our faith in the good they can do, and their roles as mediums for dialogue and connection.