A committee appointed by the university board advises Radboud University in two advice published Tuesday To suspend cooperation with two universities in Israel for the time being. According to the Commission of four (emeritus) professors and administrators, Hebrew University in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv University contribute to “serious and systematic human rights violations” in the Palestinian territories.
About Hebrew University the committee concludes For example, that this is administratively intertwined with the Israeli army. And the Tel Aviv University invests In armed drones. The two universities would also train people for the Israeli intelligence services. Both may violate the scientific integrity of the institutions, is one of the conclusions from the advisory report.
Only when the two universities show that they do not contribute to human rights violations and knowledge from research projects is not used in Gaza and occupied Palestinian territories, would the Nijmegen University have to resume collaboration.
With Hebrew University, Radboud University has agreements about student exchanges until August 2025. With the Tel Aviv University until 2099. But at the moment no Nijmegen students at one of the two universities, or vice versa.
Consultation meeting
The Executive Board has not yet taken a decision on the advice and is organizing a consultation meeting for students and employees on Monday 7 April. The college also talks to the different deans and the employee participation bodies still asks for advice.
The University of Amsterdam decided mid -March not to exchange students with the Hebrew University for the time being. An advisory committee then also concluded that the UvA ran the risk of being involved in human rights violations.