The decision of Tilburg University to temporarily stop the exchange with two Israeli universities is ‘Totally meaningless’ according to Action Committee Palestine Solidarity Tilburg (PST). “That collaboration was already standing still,” says foreman Rami Fransawi. New protests on campus are in the making.
The decision of Tilburg University mainly leads to anger among some students. “They betray us again,” says another student on the campus on Wednesday afternoon. “The tires are not really broken, as they say. They actually do nothing at all. This is more an insult than a step forward.”
Stopping cooperation with Israeli universities follows a advice from a university committee from December last year. The committee, consisting of four professors, then advised that Tilburg University had to end the collaboration with Israeli universities.
On Wednesday, the Tilburg University published a press release that states that for the time being no students and employees are going to the Israeli universities. Israeli students and employees remain welcome in Tilburg.
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Collaboration between individual employees of the universities remains “to give scientists access to an academic community where you can discuss freely.”
According to Rami Fransawi, nothing changes with the Tilburg University statement. “The exchange of students was not there because of the negative travel advice. Yes, it is good that a statement has come and that the exchange has now stopped because human rights are being violated. But this does not mean anything.”
New protests
“Much of the committee’s advice is laid down by the university. The cooperation in the field of research continues to exist,” continues Fransawi. “We believe that all tires should be broken.”
That is why new protests are being organized at the University in Tilburg. When they take place and what they will look like, the activist does not yet want to say.