{"id":180238,"date":"2025-06-26T10:55:48","date_gmt":"2025-06-26T08:55:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=180238"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:27:52","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:27:52","slug":"belgian-universities-help-us-terminate-the-eu-treaty-with-israel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2025\/06\/26\/belgian-universities-help-us-terminate-the-eu-treaty-with-israel\/","title":{"rendered":"Belgian universities: help us terminate the EU treaty with Israel"},"content":{"rendered":"

Belgian universities are urging the European Council to provide clarity and terminate the cooperation treaty with Israel. However, European foreign ministers failed to reach a conclusion on Monday afternoon.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Protest banners made by students on the balcony, one with the controversial slogan 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free'.<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tShrey Khurana<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

\u201cWe are being left to our fate\u201d, complained the rector of KU Leuven, Luc Sels, on Saturday in an interview<\/a> with the student magazine Veto. The pressure on universities to sever ties with Israeli institutions is substantial. However, ceasing these relationships carries risks, he says. \u201cThat constitutes a breach of contract, with legal and financial consequences.\u201d<\/p>\n

Universities in Belgium are also facing demonstrations and occupations on campus. Just like in the Netherlands, they must determine how to handle the situation themselves. This makes them vulnerable, say Belgian university administrators in an open letter<\/a> to, among others, the foreign ministers of EU member states.<\/p>\n

The Belgians are asking the ministers to terminate the association treaty between the EU and Israel as soon as possible. This agreement is not only about trade and cultural exchange, but also about scientific cooperation.<\/p>\n

Significant research funding<\/h2>

Israel contributes several hundred million euros each year to participate in Horizon, the European programme for scientific research. Israeli researchers have been relatively successful in this area, securing substantial research funding and collaborating extensively with European researchers. This includes research with potential military applications, as was highlighted earlier this month<\/a>.<\/p>\n

So far, universities in the Netherlands and Belgium have set up their own committees to advise on partnerships with Israeli universities or researchers. However, the decision to halt an ongoing project can lead to \u2018legal uncertainty, potential damage claims, and reputational damage\u2019 for universities, the ten Belgian institutions stated in their open letter. \u201cWithout a clear European framework, it is nearly impossible to legally justify morally responsible choices.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\t\n\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Read more<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t