Erasmus University Rotterdam cuts ties with three Israeli universities

The Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) will freeze collaborations with three universities in Israel with immediate effect. There will also be no new collaborations with the universities for the foreseeable future. The board of the EUR has said that the risk that “we are now indirectly involved in human rights abuses is too high.”

The university in Rotterdam works with the Bar-IIan University, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and the University of Haifa. These institutions work together with the Israeli military. The collaborations are not an option for the Erasmus board for as long as they are doing this and are conducting projects in occupied Palestinian territory.

The decision follows advice from a commission that looked into “sensitive partnerships.” Prior to this, the University of Amsterdam (UvA), the Radboud University in Nijmegen, and Tilburg University all restricted their collaborations with Israeli institutions. Examples of this were the halting of exchange projects or the announcement that they would no longer conduct joint research.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators who are regularly demonstrating at Universities in the country feel that these measures are not enough. They see the actions of the Israeli military in Gaza as genocide and demand an end to all collaborations with Israel.

Many collaborations between European and Israeli scientists take place within international consortia, like the European Horizon programs. EUR researchers are now only allowed to participate in these types of programs if “there is no direct cooperation” with the universities mentioned.

Ties of individual scientists fall outside the advice and decision. A “framework of action” states that they can use the advice in their considerations.