Israeli Universities, Academics Face Unprecedented Global Boycott
Tel Aviv, MINA – Israeli universities and academics have faced an unprecedented global boycott since Tel Aviv launched its genocidal war on the besieged Gaza Strip, Israel’s Channel 12 news outlet reported.
Citing data from the Association of Israeli University Heads, the channel said more than 300 cases of academic boycott of Israeli universities and academics have been recorded since October last year, MEMO reported.
According to the data, Belgium recorded the highest number of boycotts, reaching more than 40, followed by the United States with more than 35, Britain with more than 20 and the Netherlands with more than 15, the report said.
Meanwhile, Italy recorded more than ten cases of boycotts, following an initiative launched by the Union of Academics there.
The global boycott of Israeli academia is expressed in various forms, including 50 cases in which scientific articles written by Israeli scholars were rejected, 30 canceled lectures by Israeli academics, and 30 cases in which foreign academics refused to give lectures at scientific conferences and study days organized by Israeli universities.
The data shows that in 30 cases research cooperation between Israel and foreign universities and student exchange programs have been suspended.
The global boycott of Israeli universities encompassed many disciplines including history, law, archaeology, Jewish studies, cultures, natural sciences, and engineering.
The data indicated that “the situation is particularly serious” in Belgium, where about 15 academic scholarships have been canceled in addition to the refusal to issue recommendations and reports to Israeli researchers and ignoring written or verbal messages from them.
Former Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Emmanuel Nahshon, who is in charge of combating academic boycott on behalf of the Association of Israeli Universities said that “academic boycott is one of the central challenges facing Israeli universities, since October 7, in the international arena.”
Nahson reportedly added that the academic boycott has significantly escalated following the war which threatens to target the status of Israeli academia.
He noted that the association has formed a working group that will use legal, international and other tools to “downsize” as much as possible the impact of the global boycott campaign facing Israeli institutions and researchers.
“Unfortunately, we estimate that this struggle will be long-term, and we are preparing for it through coordinated work among Israeli universities and with the help of our friends around the world,” he added.
Universities across the world, particularly in the US, have faced pressure from student activities to divest and boycott Israeli institutions. (T/RE1/P2)
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
