Ghent University (UGent) has said that it is to halt all cooperation and joint projects that it currently has with Israeli research institutes and universities. However, the pro-Palestinian activists that have been occupying a building at the university for over 3 weeks are not satisfied. They are demanding that the university also cease cooperation with Israeli companies.
Ghent University suspends academic cooperation with Israel, protesters demand total boycott and continue sit-in
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Under pressure from the pro-Palestinian activists and following fresh advice issued by the university’s Human Rights Committee, UGent has decided that all ongoing cooperation with Israeli universities, colleges and other research institutions will be suspended.
The university’s Human Rights Committee's describes the ongoing cooperation projects that UGent has with Israeli academic institutions as “problematic”. This means that in its view the institutions in question directly or indirectly violate human rights or have close ties to the Israeli regime and as such are involved in the war in Gaza.
In a statement issued on Thursday night UGent’s Vice-Chancellor Rik Van de Walle said that he is taking the necessary steps to end all remaining cooperation project with Israeli academic institutions. Previously the university already halted three projects. Now a further 15 cooperation projects will be terminated bringing the total to 18. UGent is now also calling on the EU to expel Israel from a treaty on academic cooperation.
Protesters demand boycott of Israeli companies
The activists that are occupying UGent’s UFO Building have responded positively to the suspension of academic cooperation with Israel. However, they say that more is needed before they will end their sit-in.
In a statement the protesters said ‘We demand that UGent also terminates its contracts with 6 Israeli companies. They too are contributing to the war, persistent human rights violations and suffering in Gaza. We will continue until our demands are met”.
UGent has not yet responded to the protests’ latest demands.