Collaboration in international consortia with the universities from Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa remains possible, but only if the involved researchers from Rotterdam do not have to work directly with the Israeli institutions.
Human rights in jeopardy
“Our international collaborations are based on academic freedom and scientific diplomacy. But that freedom has limits when fundamental human rights are at stake”, said chair Annelien Bredenoord regarding the decision on the website of Erasmus University.
Regarding the conditions for resuming collaboration, there is a slight gap between the advice and the decision. While the commission recommends a broad assessment of the risks regarding the occupation of Palestinian territories, archaeological activities, and relations with the Israeli Army (the IDF), the Executive Board focuses on the relationship with the IDF. Resumption of cooperation according to the Executive Board is only possible if the partner university demonstrably distances itself from the army.
After the war
Once the war is over, cooperation can also resume. This latter point was not explicitly mentioned by the committee, but ‘it certainly plays a role if it means that human rights violations are then over, ACSC chair Ruard Ganzevoort comments. Finally, the Executive Board wants to reassess every three months, whereas the committee was content with annual monitoring.
The university administration wants to enter into discussions with the management of the three Israeli universities within two weeks. Meanwhile, the advisory committee is examining the ties with two other universities: the University of Tel Aviv and Birzeit University (in the West Bank). Soon, an advice on these will be published.
'Pleased'
The group of academics and staff who had already expressed their views on the advice in an opinion piece as ‘cautiously welcomed’, now strongly welcomes the Executive Board’s decision. “We especially appreciate the clarity that: first, human rights are a foundational dimension to the values of academic freedom and science diplomacy in EUR’s institutional collaborations; second, that recognition of the risk of existence of an indirect involvement by EUR in human rights violations through institutional collaborations is a basis to freeze and cease such links and third, a decision to freeze institutional links takes seriously the values and conditions of academic freedom. Our university is showing that it wants to be on the right side of history.
'Very important step'
Renee Kolpa, a law and philosophy student involved in the campus protests, is also positive about the decision. “The commission’s advice and the subsequent decision of Erasmus University demonstrate that the institutional rigidity, which has long prevented the administration from critically assessing Israel, is slowly beginning to loosen.”
“For a long time, it was unthinkable to hold Israel to the same standards as other actors, but now space is gradually emerging for this”, Kolpa continues. “This is a crucial development, as it signifies a crack in the deeply ingrained Dutch discourse, which not only justifies but even encourages inhumanly cruel behaviour by Israel. This marks a very important step for Erasmus University towards genuine academic freedom and responsibility.”
Signals
In the decision, the Executive Board also expresses concerns about ‘signals that some members of the EUR community no longer feel free to speak out, or that they feel unsafe due to their background, beliefs, or involvement in social movements’. Therefore, the Executive Board calls on everyone ‘to contribute to an open, careful, and respectful dialogue, especially when there are significant disagreements’.
Russian students and professors banned. Israeli students and professors banned. Who are next? Which (possible innocent) students and professors are we are banned next? Which bubbel are we are creating now? China? Until we eventually create our own Western European bubble with only our views. Very academic.
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