An administrator at Federal University of Santa Maria in Brazil sent out an urgent request for information on all Israeli students and faculty members at the institution, the Inside Higher Ed reported today.

The university said it was gathering information to comply with Brazil’s version of a public records request — in this case from pro-Palestinian groups on campus. The idea that such information might be released to those groups has raised alarm in Israel and among Jewish groups in Brazil. Many have expressed fears that Israelis at the university could be harassed, and questioned why a university should be releasing such information about its foreign students.

The Federal University of Santa Maria has confirmed that one of its administrators did send out the memo, and that officials believed this action was required by Brazilian law to comply with the request from campus groups promoting the Palestinian cause.

But while the document, which has been published in the Brazilian press, is real, it featured a stamp that the university says is a forgery (at least as part of the university memo). The stamp says: “Freedom for Palestine, Boycott Israel.” Some of the original outrage over the request was based in part on the stamp. But even with the university disavowing the stamp, Israeli officials and others are reacting with anger to any activity that would assemble and potentially release lists of Israelis.

The official involved, José Fernando Schlosser, told Inside Higher Ed that he regretted the accusations of anti-semitism levied against him and the university, and argued that he was only complying with the law. Schlosser also said that the university should have forced the groups involved to sue for the information so it would be clear that the university has no interest in releasing it. Ultimately, no list of Israelis at the university was compiled. No reason was given for why the pro-Palestinian groups sought the information.

[Photo: Lisandro Faverzani / YouTube ]