Brussels University Faces Student Protests Over Partnership with Israeli Defense Company

Brussels, MINA – Pro-Palestine activists staged a protest on Wednesday at the Free University of Brussels (VUB) Etterbeek campus, demanding that university administration immediately terminate its collaboration with an Israeli defense-linked company, according to Anadolu Agency reports.

Demonstrators hung a large banner reading “VUB helps kill Palestinians” and placed portraits of Palestinian figures across the campus, accusing the university of complicity through its research partnerships, Flemish-language daily Het Nieuwsblad reported.

The protest targeted VUB’s collaboration with OIP Sensor Systems, a company owned by Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest private arms manufacturer. Students and activists demand that the partnership, conducted through the university’s research center, be ended immediately.

Protesters expressed concern that technologies developed through such collaborations could have dual-use applications, including military surveillance and drone systems.

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“While Palestinians are being killed using drones and precision equipment developed by OIP-Elbit, VUB continues to allow the company to benefit from research partnerships, including projects related to space missions,” said protester Julie Janssens.

Another demonstrator, Jana De Blok, warned about the broader implications of space-related research partnerships.

“This research will therefore likely contribute to the development of more surveillance technology and warfare in Palestine, Iran, and Lebanon, and in our own streets,” De Blok added.

The protest comes amid ongoing international scrutiny of academic and corporate ties with Israeli defense industries, particularly in light of the continuing conflict in Gaza.

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According to official Palestinian figures, since the start of the Gaza war, attacks by the Israeli army and illegal settlers in the West Bank have killed 1,133 Palestinians and injured approximately 11,700 others. Around 22,000 people have been arrested during the same period.

The demonstration at VUB reflects a growing trend of student activism across European universities calling for divestment from companies and institutions with ties to Israeli military operations.[]

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)

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