BY LUC SELS ‘KU Leuven complicit in genocide,’ is what I read on the banners of the activists occupying a building of our university. They are harsh words, possibly inspired by the powerlessness we all feel when seeing the images of the dehumanising violence in Gaza.

This text was published in ‘De Standaard’ on May 22nd

‘KU Leuven complicit in genocide,’ is what I read on the banners of the activists occupying a building of our university. They are harsh words, possibly inspired by the powerlessness we all feel when seeing the images of the dehumanising violence in Gaza. Of course, a university has the power to discontinue every collaboration with Israel. That is what these committed young people demand: a boycott.

Why don’t we boycott Israeli universities?

There have been precedents, like the discontinuation of the collaborations with Russia and Iran. These boycotts are part of or in line with sanction policies set by our government. I am afraid that an isolated academic boycott which has no impact on the rest of the government and society will do more harm than good. This would mainly isolate and discourage the more progressive forces that can be found especially in the Israeli universities.

I am surprised by the occupations. Not because I do not share the concerns, but because the protest mainly aims at universities, and leaves the political governments untouched. Activism towards universities is easy, because universities allow and sometimes even encourage it. Activism against political governments is a lot harder, but necessary if you want to bring about real change.

Israeli universities are no bastions of pluralism and democracy. They are not innocent institutions. But if there is a place in the hopelessly divided Israeli society where changes can be brought about, it might just be in the universities. Currently, many researchers and students in Israeli universities are horrified by Netanyahu’s rhetoric. This in itself might be a good reason not to cut all ties.

A colleague from Barcelona made the comparison with Spain’s history. If all of the international universities would have cut ties with the academic community during the Franco regime, it would have been a lot more difficult to keep in touch with the outside world and to recover after the dictatorship. Academic ties can be something to hold on to when trying to recover from the horrors of war or dictatorships.

No carte blanche

The devastating terror of Hamas cannot be justified in any way, nor can the brutality striking the Palestinian population. It is clear that key human rights are being violated. That is why our Ethics Committee on Dual Use, Military use & Misuse of Research (EC DMM) has decided not to allow any new partnerships with (branches of) the Israeli government.

Israeli universities are linked to the government and the military. Even though we do not opt for a boycott, this compels us to exercise caution. This is why we do not have any institutional partnerships with Israeli knowledge institutions. It also explains why the exchange agreements have been on hold since last year.  We only maintain collaborations in the context of research consortia funded by Europe.

The ethics committee has decided, after a thorough assessment, not to discontinue these existing projects. Some people conclude that this means we give Israeli universities carte blanche. That is not the case. What the ethics committee concluded, is that the expected results of the studies concerned do not present detectable risks of violation of human rights, or of military or other misuse. These studies include research on Parkinson’s disease, autism or soil biodiversity. Discontinuing these studies would have a major impact on excellent science in the making, including for the many non-Israeli partners in these consortia.

For new collaborations, the ethics committee adopts the approach that is used for all international projects: approval or objection based on a thorough screening of the partner institution and the content of the project. This is a strict process. All researchers have been asked to exercise caution and consideration when planning new research collaborations, as long as the Netanyahu government continues its aggressions.

Open, not blind

It’s easy to demand a boycott. It is a lot harder to assess its consequences for researchers and students. Each path we keep open gives them something to hold on to and provides us with an opportunity to support. In this context, it is a shame that student exchanges have been put on hold. These exchanges would give us the opportunity to make a real and significant contribution to a different Israel where all citizens are equal.

At the start of the academic year, before 7 October, KU Leuven hosted 12 Israeli, 29 Palestinian, 46 Syrian, 109 Lebanse, 138 Egyptian, and 343 Iranian students. Would it not be wonderful if we could share our tradition of respectful debate with more instead of fewer Israeli students, to promote dialogue between all these nationalities? Would that make us complicit in genocide? I don’t think it does.

In research, we work together based on interest and potential for scientific progress. This collaboration sometimes includes research teams from countries and areas with questionable regimes. We do not turn a blind eye, however. Each university has a mission. Collaboration with other partners should benefit this mission and respect the ethical standards set in this mission.

Therefore, we are stricter than ever in monitoring whether projects meet our ethical standards, not only in Israel, but in the whole world. Some people might find that we are not strict enough. That is okay; diverse perspectives are key in a university. We continue to believe that collaboration will provide us with opportunities for dialogue, for critical questions, and for making progress in one of the most difficult conflict areas.

In this conflict area, solutions will never be presented by someone who describes a territory with titles as ‘The Promised Land’ or ‘Holy Land’, no matter what religious beliefs they hold. In both communities, we mainly need committed defenders of the rule of law, because its basic principles are continually being violated. Maybe we could find these people in universities too.