Erasmus University severs ties with Israeli universities
Erasmus University in the Dutch city of Rotterdam announced the severing of its ties with three Israeli universities: Bar-Ilan in Tel Aviv, Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and University of Haifa.
The university has frozen all academic exchange programs and confirmed that it will not initiate any new research projects with these institutions. This decision came based on a recommendation from an independent committee, which indicated last week that there are close ties between the three universities and the Israeli army, in addition to their involvement in research projects within the occupied Palestinian territories.
The university stated that there are "significant risks" of Bar-Ilan University being involved in human rights violations. It added that the relationship of the other two universities with the Israeli army increases the likelihood of involvement in such violations.
The university president, Annelien Breedenord, stated in a statement that academic freedom "has limits when basic human rights are threatened." She added: "As long as we lack confidence that cooperation will not indirectly lead to the university's involvement in human rights violations, all institutional partnerships and exchange programs will remain frozen, and no new cooperation will be launched."
Several other Dutch universities have previously suspended their cooperation with Israeli institutions. Tilburg University suspended its cooperation with Bar-Ilan and Reichman universities in May due to the "inseparable relationship" between these universities and the Israeli army. Radboud University in Nijmegen also severed its ties with Hebrew University and Tel Aviv University, considering that "Israeli violations of human rights in the Palestinian territories are serious and systematic, and that some universities contribute directly to these violations."
The University of Amsterdam has ended its student exchange program with Hebrew University but continues to cooperate with other Israeli institutions. The website Follow the Money revealed that eight Dutch universities are still participating in 28 research projects funded by the European Union, which may ultimately benefit the Israeli army. This includes 12 projects that started after the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, and are used for both civilian and military purposes.
Weapons experts indicated that Delft University is involved in seven dual-use projects with Israeli partners, while Eindhoven University is participating in eight similar projects.