Universities cut ties with Israeli academia over war on Gaza
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Universities across Europe, Latin America, and beyond are cutting ties with Israeli academia over its links to the government and military amid the war on Gaza.
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A passerby wearing a keffiyeh walks past a banner reading 'Welcome to the people's university for Palestine' at Oxford University on 7 May 2024 (AFP/Adrian Dennis)
A growing number of universities and scholarly associations around the world are cutting ties with Israeli academia, citing complicity in the government’s war on Gaza, according to The Guardian.
Institutions in Brazil, Norway, Belgium, and Spain have already suspended collaborations, while Trinity College Dublin and the University of Amsterdam have recently followed suit.
The European Association of Social Anthropologists also announced it will not work with Israeli academic institutions and urged its members to do the same.
Advocates of the academic boycott argue that Israeli universities maintain close ties with the state and military. Stephanie Adam of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of "Israel" told The Guardian that Israeli academia is complicit in “decades-long military occupation, settler colonial apartheid and now genocide,” adding that universities worldwide have a moral obligation to act.
Read more: Italian Florence University joins academic boycott, drops Israeli ties
Israeli historian Ilan Pappé echoed this view. While speaking with The Guardian, he stressed that most Israeli academics do not oppose government policies or refuse military service. He argued that universities directly provide training and support to agencies involved in oppressing Palestinians.
Critics warn of unfair punishment to Israeli scholars
Not all institutions or scholars agree. In the UK, France, and Germany, most universities have resisted cutting ties. Universities UK, the Royal Society, and Nobel laureate Venki Ramakrishnan opposed blanket boycotts, warning they may penalize academics who themselves criticize the Israeli government.
Ramakrishnan told The Guardian, “On the one hand, the government’s approach to Gaza has been hugely disproportionate, harming civilians… On the other hand, most Israeli academics I know detest Netanyahu and his government.”
While Israeli academics argue the boycott is unlikely to impact their research in the short term, analysts warn the situation could change if more prestigious institutions withdraw partnerships or funding.
The EU’s Horizon Europe program has already reduced grants awarded to Israeli researchers, and the European Commission has discussed partially suspending "Israel’s" participation. Between 2021 and 2024, "Israel" received €875.9 million from Horizon Europe, much of it for science and technology research.
Read more: Global hunger strike to support Gaza set for September 16
If collaborations continue to dry up, experts warn of a possible “brain drain,” with Israeli researchers leaving the country permanently.
Boycott movement gains momentum despite opposition
Campaigners say the boycott is already having an effect. In May 2024, the Israeli government allocated €22 million to combat the academic boycott. Despite opposition from some governments and university bodies, grassroots movements and individual researchers continue to push for severing ties.
“The moral outrage about what the Israelis are doing is leading more and more academics to take personal decisions not to have joint projects with Israelis,” Ghassan Soleiman Abu-Sittah, a British-Palestinian surgeon and rector of the University of Glasgow, told The Guardian.
He added that the academic boycott, though controversial, remains “a powerful tool” to pressure "Israel" to end the war on Gaza.
The decision by universities worldwide to sever links with Israeli academia reflects a growing sense of responsibility within global higher education. While critics argue boycotts undermine academic freedom, supporters insist they are a necessary step to hold institutions accountable for their role in the oppression of Palestinians.
