The Free University of Brussels has collaboration with the Technion University of Technology, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Wezizmann Institute for Science.
The Academic Council of the Free University of Brussels (ULB) decided this week “by a large majority”, to suspend all agreements and institutional research projects involving an Israeli university.
The university has collaboration with the Technion University of Technology, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Wezizmann Institute for Science.
It also pledged not to enter into any agreement with a Palestinian university “until their respective university authorities make a clear commitment to the unconditional release of the Israeli hostages”.
ULB said the suspension of partnerships with Israeli universities will be maintained until the “clear commitment” of the university authorities concerned “to the demands made by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in its order of May 24. The refusal to conclude any agreement with a Palestinian university will be lifted upon the “unconditional release of the Israeli hostages”, the university added ;
The ULB decision comes after round hundred students have been occupying a building on the university campus since May 7.The building has been renamed after Walid Daqqa who was convicted by Israel of commanding a Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)-affiliated terrorist group that abducted and killed an Israeli soldier.
Earlier this month, Jewish students have been violently attacked by pro-Palestinian activists on the ULB campus. They shouted antisemitic slogans like ”Zionists fascists” and “He’s a dirty Jew, he must be destroyed.”
Another Belgian university, in Ghent, also announced it is severing ties with three Israeli educational and research institutions, citing misalignment with its human rights policy.
“We currently assess these three partners as problematic according to the Ghent University human rights test, in contrast to the positive evaluation we gave these partners at the start of our collaboration,” said Rik Van de Walle, Rector of Ghent University.
Walle also stated that the university is ending collaborations with the Holon Institute of Technology, MIGAL Galilee Research Institute, and the Volcani Center, which specializes in agricultural research.
The university’s investigation highlighted concerns about the affiliations of MIGAL and Volcani with Israeli ministries and the Holon Institute’s provision of material support to the Israeli army for operations in Gaza.
In Ghent, pro-Palestinian students have occupied a campus building vowing ‘’to continue until the university breaks all ties with Israeli institutions.’’