For now, Radboud University will not enter into any new collaborations with Israeli knowledge institutions at university, faculty, or institute level. So writes the Executive Board in a letter to the participational bodies. The University also wants to urge the Dutch government to end Israel's participation in the Association Agreement.

For now, the Nijmegen university will no longer enter into new collaborations with Israeli knowledge institutions at university, faculty, or institute level. So writes the Executive Board in response to a letter from the participational bodies.

The stop applies both to the EU Horizon programme and to other multilateral and bilateral collaborations in which the University is involved. Non-institutional and individual collaborations with Israeli scholars remain possible, unless the scholars in question are directly involved in human rights violations.

Goudsmitpaviljoen

Similarly, existing multilateral and bilateral collaborations may proceed, unless participating scholars are demonstrably involved in human rights violations.

Just last week, activists from the Nijmegen Student Encampment occupied the Goudsmitpaviljoen in protest against such a collaboration that the University had entered into with three Israeli parties. This happened in the context of a project that fell under Horizon Europe.

Proposed collaborations that claim exceptional status due to medical or humanitarian purposes must be submitted to the Partnerships Advisory Committee.

Recommendation

The Executive Board also advocates against Israel’s continued participation in the Association Agreement. In taking this stance, the administrators are following the recommendation of the International Partnerships Committee, which was made public last Friday.

The Committee advised the Executive Board to ‘strongly advocate for the suspension of the EU’s Association Agreement with Israel for violation of treaty obligations by Israel in connection with ongoing serious human rights violations in Gaza and the other Palestinian territories.’

Genocide

In their letter, the board members also express their concern about ‘the consequences of the genocidal nature of the violence.’ They refer, among others, to the UN independent commission that ruled that Israel is guilty of genocide in the Gaza Strip, and to a report by the Advisory Committee on Public International Law (CAVV) that calls on third states, such as the Netherlands, to prevent genocide. ‘The fact that the International Association of Genocide Scholars recently declared that genocidal violence, acts of war, and crimes against humanity are being committed in Gaza makes the CAVV’s conclusions relevant.’

The University, the administrators write, also wants to contribute to the reconstruction of Gaza ‘within the possibilities of our educational and academic infrastructure.’

Letter from participational bodies

The Executive Board’s letter is a response to a letter sent by members of the participational bodies in early September. In their letter, the participational bodies’ members asked whether the Executive Board thought the time was ripe to review RU’s position on collaboration with Israeli universities.

They also pointed the administrators to an appeal by three universities in Gaza for support and partnership, and to a letter in which 10 Belgian rectors called on their government to immediately suspend the Association Agreement with Israel.

Actions

For over 18 months, pro-Palestine demonstrators have been holding actions on the Radboud University campus. They have done so in various ways, including demonstrations, graffiti, and tent camps. At the end of last academic year, activists also smashed some windows at the Berchmanianum.

The protesters demand that the University cut all ties with Israeli institutions. Following the advice of the International Partnerships Committee, Radboud University froze its ties with Tel Aviv and Hebrew University, two Israeli partner universities. That is not enough for the campaigners, who want the University to cut all ties with Israeli institutions.

Ceasefire

In Gaza, there is now a ceasefire. Just today, Hamas released the 20 remaining Israeli hostages. The first Palestinian prisoners have also been released.

In case of sustainable follow-up steps in the peace process, Radboud University ‘will have its collaboration with Israeli universities reassessed by the Partnerships Committee.’

(This post may be updated later)