Israel: A growing number of universities and scholarly bodies worldwide are severing ties with Israeli academic institutions, citing their alleged complicity in the Israeli government’s military actions in Gaza. The movement is gaining momentum even as major academic associations in the UK, France, and Germany continue to reject calls for a boycott.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, more than 63,000 people have been killed in the territory since the conflict escalated, with UN-backed experts warning that large parts of Gaza now face man-made famine. Much of the enclave lies in ruins following months of bombardment.
The academic boycott campaign, led by the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), argues that Israeli universities are deeply intertwined with the military and government.
The boycott movement has gathered pace across Europe and Latin America. The Federal University of Ceará in Brazil cancelled a planned innovation summit with an Israeli partner last year. Universities in Norway, Belgium, Spain, and Ireland, including Trinity College Dublin, have announced similar moves.
The University of Amsterdam ended its student exchange with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. At the same time, the European Association of Social Anthropologists declared it would no longer collaborate with Israeli institutions and urged members to follow suit.
“A boycott is in place until further notice.”
Utrecht University becomes first Western academic institution to announce an academic *boycott* of Israel, shattering a taboo.
This is the result of strategic, principled work by students & university staff.https://t.co/CHTO1q8iP8 pic.twitter.com/IMjgSd860G
— PACBI – BDS movement (@PACBI) September 2, 2025
In contrast, few institutions in the UK, France, or Germany have taken such action. Universities UK, the representative body for higher education, said it opposes blanket academic boycotts, citing its commitment to the free exchange of ideas, regardless of nationality or location. The Royal Society has also reaffirmed its opposition to boycotts.
The boycott debate is particularly sensitive because Israel relies on global scientific collaboration. Since 2021, Israel has received €875.9m (£740.4m) through the EU’s Horizon Europe research programme.
However, in July, the European Commission proposed partially suspending Israel from the scheme, targeting startups and SMEs involved in dual-use technologies such as drones and artificial intelligence.
While the suspension remains unlikely, ten EU member states prefer maintaining dialogue; concerns linger that Israel could face exclusion from Horizon’s successor programme in 2028. Already, Israel’s share of EU funding has declined, and its government allocated €22m in 2024 to counter the boycott campaign.
Recent data from the European Research Council showed just 10 Israeli researchers received starting grants in 2025, down from 30 the previous year.
