Academic boycott of Israel is on the rise
From Belgium to Italy, from the United States to the Netherlands, world academe is turning its back on Israeli researchers. Refusal to publish articles, cancellation of lectures and freezing of joint research have become widespread in universities around the world, according to new data revealed here for the first time. The full picture is disturbing more than 300 cases of academic boycott have been documented since October 7, and the numbers continue to rise
By Yael Odem • Translated by Sol Salbe
An unprecedented wave of academic boycotts has hit Israeli universities since the beginning of the war. Data collected by the Israeli Association of University Heads indicate that more than 300 boycott cases have been accumulated thus far, with Belgium leading the worrying trend with more than 40 cases.
It is followed by the United States with over 35 cases, and Spain, with over 20 cases. England and the Netherlands also recorded significant numbers of over 20 and 15 cases respectively, while in Italy over 10 cases were recorded as a result of a joint initiative with the Association of Doctors.
The academic boycott manifests itself in a wide range of actions, the most significant of which is the prevention of academic publications. About 50 cases have been documented in which publications including articles, journals and interviews were declined. At the same time, about 30 cases of lectures that were cancelled or prevented due to simultaneous protests, and about 30 additional cases involved a complete refusal to participate in academic events in Israel, including research, conferences, seminars and workshops. Another worrying phenomenon is about 30 cases of cancellation or suspension of research and institutional collaborations, including research colleagues and student exchanges.
The boycott runs across faculties and fields of knowledge, with cases associated with diverse fields such as history, law, archaeology, Judaism, culture, and natural sciences and engineering. In Belgium, the situation is particularly serious with about 15 cases of it hurting academic grants. Other cases include refusing to write recommendations, peer research opinions, or participating in surveys, along with ignoring written and oral messages.
Emmanuel Nachshon, Chair of the Action Team to Combat the Academic Boycott on behalf of the Association of University Heads, said: “The academic boycott is one of the main challenges facing Israeli universities since October 7, in the international arena. The phenomenon of the academic boycott is gaining significant momentum in light of the war and threatens to harm the status of Israeli academia in every aspect. In order to effectively combat this dangerous phenomenon, an action team was established on behalf of the association, which uses both legal and international relations tools and other means in order to minimise as much as possible the phenomenon of academic boycotts against Israeli institutions and researchers. Unfortunately, we believe that the struggle will be long-term, and we are preparing for it through coordinated action by Israeli universities with the help of our friends around the world.”
