European universities divided on Israel Horizon Europe suspension

European universities are divided on whether Israel should be suspended from Horizon Europe after an internal EU report cited widespread evidence of war crimes, food blockages and indiscriminate attacks against civilians in Gaza. 

German university heads still think the EU should support Israeli researchers, who they argue are defenders of liberal democracy and dialogue.  

But Belgian research leaders argue Israel has breached human rights clauses in its association agreement with the EU, which underpins the country’s association to Horizon Europe. 

“We urge the European Commission and the member states to suspend the association agreement without any further delay,” says an a open letter published on June 23 by the rectors of ten Belgian universities. 

On the same day, EU foreign ministers discussed an internal report by the European External Action Service (EEAS) that found “indications” that Israel has violated the agreement, which says that both parties must have “respect for human rights and democratic principles.” 

The restricted report, which was circulated by the news site EUobserver, lists a litany of abuses, from attacks on Gazan hospitals, to the mass displacement of Palestinians, to the “collective punishment” of Gazans through blockade and starvation, citing international bodies like the United Nations. 

While the EEAS’s report remains private, the bloc’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas was similarly scathing in a speech last week. “Enough is enough,” she said, calling the reported killing of more than 50 Palestinians waiting for flour by Israeli forces “shocking.” 

Privately, Israel has reportedly hit back at the EEAS report, claiming it is biased. 

The Israel-Europe Research and Innovation Directorate, which promotes the country’s participation in Horizon Europe, declined to comment. 

Ministers meet

At the meeting of foreign ministers on June 23, some states, including Spain and Ireland, were keen to take action against Israel, said one member state science counsellor, speaking on condition of anonymity. 

But others, including Germany, Hungary and Austria, were more cautious, they added. 

It would take unanimity to suspend the entire association agreement, so this seems politically impossible for now.

However, a qualified majority is needed to pass lesser sanctions, such as suspending Horizon Europe association, or restricting Israel’s trade or visa access to the EU. The Commission would have to put forward any sanctions proposals.

Horizon Europe suspension has not been discussed by the foreign ministers, said the science counsellor, but they may have further conversations about potential actions at their next meeting, scheduled for July 15. 

Universities divided

While foreign ministers deliberate, some European universities have called for more urgent action.

In their statement, the Belgian universities say that suspension of the association agreement with Israel is a “logical consequence of the treaty's own provisions.”

Earlier this month, the leadership of the University of Amsterdam also called on the Dutch government to compel Israel though “political and diplomatic means, to cease its violence immediately” and allow more aid into Gaza. 

Last week, Amsterdam announced it will not enter into any new Horizon Europe projects with Israeli organisations, pending the results of the EEAS report. 

A spokesman for the Universities of the Netherlands umbrella body said that it would consider the EEAS report, although it was unclear yet whether it would come out with a collective statement. 

The Spanish Universities Association, which led boycotts of Israel collaboration in Horizon Europe last year, has also put out a recent statement decrying the blockade of Gaza.  

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German research organisations, however, remain against Israeli suspension. “We still consider Israeli science to be very creative and productive. We therefore continue to support scientific collaboration, also in the context of Horizon Europe,” said a spokesman for the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.

German university rectors have also come out against suspension. Israeli academics and universities “have always been a strong liberal, democratic force,” they argued in a statement earlier this month. 

This level of division makes it difficult for pan-European research bodies to formulate a position. The League of European Research Universities “has no formal opinion on the issue,” said its secretary-general, Kurt Deketelaere.

Further guidance

In protest at Israel’s war on Gaza, some universities have sought to boycott and extricate themselves from Horizon Europe partnerships, but this has not always proven simple. 

“Unilateral withdrawal from consortia or, if necessary, excluding Israeli partners from approved projects leads to legal uncertainty, potential compensation claims, and reputational damage,” said the statement from Belgian universities earlier this week. 

The Belgian universities point to the Horizon Europe model grant agreement, article 14 of which commits recipients to respect “basic EU values (such as respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and human rights, including the rights of minorities).” 

The universities want the Commission to give them a more “effective” ethical screening framework to assess whether potential partners are “complicit” in human rights violations.

So far, the Commission has stuck to a “minimalist” reading of article 14, stressing that only the content of the proposed research project can be examined. “Potential structural unethical behaviour of a partner institution is ignored,” the Belgian universities said..

Asked for a response, Thomas Regnier, the Commission’s spokesperson for tech sovereignty, defence, space and research, said that there were several mechanisms to prevent research funds being used in breach of international law.

“Any action carried out under the programme must comply with ethical principles and relevant national, EU and international legislation,” he said in a statement. Non-compliance can result in penalties, he added.