Israel under academic siege: Universities face boycott across Europe

The New York Times, in a report by Elizabeth Boumiah on Monday, wrote that recently 23 Israeli researchers were invited to attend a European scientific conference, but were instructed to conceal their professional identities.

According to the report, this decision angered Guy D. Stiebel, head of the Israel Antiquities Authority, who called it a form of “European conscience-washing.” Although the organizing association later reversed its decision, the New York Times noted that the incident reflects a significant shift in European universities’ approach toward Israel following the Gaza war over the past two years.

Boumiah’s report highlights that universities in Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, and Italy are at the forefront of campaigns to boycott Israeli academic institutions. These universities have officially suspended collaboration with Israeli institutions, stating that remaining silent about Israel’s actions in Gaza is no longer acceptable. However, some universities continue to maintain contact with independent Israeli researchers.

Israeli researchers view these boycotts as “tools to delegitimize Israel”, emphasizing that their universities are independent of the Israeli cabinet, and many have criticized Netanyahu’s military policies in Gaza.

The report indicates that so far, approximately 50 European universities have fully or partially suspended cooperation with Israeli institutions, and the Israeli cabinet has recorded over 1,000 cases of scientific sanctions, including ending exchange programs and halting scholarship awards.

In the United States, institutional boycotts have not been observed, but 2024 saw widespread protests against the war in Gaza. Nevertheless, pressures from the Trump administration against what it termed “anti-Semitism” led many U.S. universities to refrain from direct criticism of Israel.

The president of Ben-Gurion University described these actions as “painful and a form of collective punishment.”