Thousands of Belgian academics call for end to Israeli collaborations
A coalition of more than 6,600 professors, researchers, university staff and students have signed an open letter urging Belgian universities to end all collaborations with Israeli institutions. Among the signatories are prominent figures such as outgoing deputy prime minister Petra De Sutter and war correspondent Rudi Vranckx.
The letter accuses Israeli universities of direct or indirect involvement in human rights violations and alleges complicity in what the signatories describe as an “ongoing genocide in Gaza”. It calls on Belgian universities, as public institutions, to sever ties with Israeli institutions and align their policies with international law.
The signatories argue that universities have a responsibility to uphold international law, both through teaching and by example. They highlight rulings from the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court over the past year, including arrest warrants issued against Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence minister Yoav Gallant.
Broad support
This call for a boycott is described as the most significant collective denunciation of human rights violations in Gaza and Palestine from the Belgian academic community. The open letter has been signed by 29 deans, 64 department heads, 1,107 professors, 1,518 researchers, 634 administrative staff and 3,290 students.
It has also gained the backing of well-known international figures, including climate activist Greta Thunberg, British film director Ken Loach, musician Brian Eno and philosopher Nancy Fraser, all of whom have received honorary doctorates from Belgian universities.
The call for boycott follows earlier initiatives at various universities, including student protests at Ghent University, KU Leuven, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Université libre de Bruxelles and others.
The open letter is now under review by the Flemish Interuniversity Council and the Francophone Council of Rectors. The outcome of these deliberations could set a precedent for the role of Belgian universities in addressing global human rights concerns.
People participate in a protest in Brussels to demand a ceasefire in Gaza © BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK