UvA is not cutting ties with Israel (for the moment)
The UvA is not suspending “general ties” with Israel at this time. So writes the UvA in response to a letter from Dutch Scholars for Palestine, which asked universities to suspend all “formal and informal ties” with Israeli higher education institutions. “Severing or suspending ties also means severing relationships with researchers who represent a critical voice in Israel.”
According to the UvA, there are currently “institutional ties” with three Israeli universities, including an agreement for an exchange program. “We want to be very cautious about restricting (institutional and individual) collaborations without a clear legal basis for doing so or a clear call from the Ministry of OCW (which was the case with the freezing of collaboration with Russian institutions),” said the letter, which was signed by the Executive Board (BoE) and all UvA deans.
The letter is in response to an e-mail that the Dutch Scholars for Palestine sent to all universities in late January asking them to suspend ties with Israeli higher education institutions and companies. The network also wants universities to provide money to “build relationships with Palestinian higher education institutions” that have been “destroyed by the Israeli state.” There should also be scholarships for Palestinian students and scholars who have had to quit college or lost their jobs.
The BoE and deans praised the letter writers’ “deep commitment” to the “humanitarian disaster currently taking place in Gaza.” “We share your bewilderment and sadness at the violence and loss of life, and many of us, like you, are personally deeply affected. “We share your bewilderment and sadness at the violence and loss of life, and many of us, like you, are personally deeply affected.”
But the BoE and deans do not foresee a suspension of cooperation with Israel. “By cooperating with Israeli institutions, provided the nature of the cooperation is in line with our academic mission, we see an opportunity to keep an open line of communication even in times of war and conflict. Severing or suspending ties also means severing relationships with researchers who represent a critical voice in Israel.”
The UvA also points out that last Friday a fund was established for students from Israel and Palestinian territories currently studying at the UvA as well as for students and researchers from Gaza who want to come to study or work at the UvA. The UvA has promised to double the funds.
