Society and Culture
Divestment: What are the Relationships Between Israel and World Universities?
Israel's soft power in education and academia is not limited to 'friendly' countries. It has attempted to influence potentially hostile countries by collaborating with them.
Mohamed Ali
Israel stands out for its innovative technologies, advanced research facilities, and globally recognised academic institutions. These attributes make it an attractive collaboration partner for the global academic and research communities. Israel has achieved notable international successes by making significant strides in the scientific and technological fields. Israeli universities specialise in various disciplines and establish strong academic and research connections worldwide. These connections enable Israel to enhance its academic and research capacities and promote global knowledge sharing. Investments in higher education and research have positioned Israel among the leading countries in science and technology. The international cooperation of Israeli universities is continuously expanding through student and faculty exchange programs, joint research projects, and global conferences.
Academic Exchange Programs and Agreements
Israel's first official academic exchange programs began in the 1960s. Israeli students were encouraged to study abroad and international students to study in Israel. Since the 1970s, many Israeli universities have established student exchange agreements with universities worldwide, offering opportunities for term-based education. These programs provide students with international experience and the chance to broaden their academic knowledge. In the 1980s, summer schools and short-term programs became popular, offering students intensive courses and cultural experiences.
Academic exchange programs for faculty began in the late 1960s. Israeli academics served as visiting professors abroad while foreign academics taught in Israel. Since the 1970s, increasing joint research projects have strengthened these programs. By the 1980s, regular academic exchange programs were established, fostering strong academic ties between the participants.
Israel’s Educational Soft Power
Israel has strived to establish academic collaborations across various countries, from America to Asia and from Europe to Africa. The financial ties between Israel and U.S. universities are robust, facilitated through partnerships and investments in various fields. These connections are primarily formed through academic research funding, joint projects, and industrial collaborations. However, a report by Al Jazeera highlights underreporting and ethical issues concerning the complex financial relationships between U.S. universities and Israel.
Although the U.S. Department of Education requires universities to disclose donations and contracts from foreign sources, many institutions fail to comply and redirect the funds through separate foundations. This raises concerns about the transparency and accountability of academic funding. In the past two years, it is reported that nearly 100 U.S. higher education institutions have received a total of $375 million in donations or contracts from Israel. For instance, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) allegedly received over $11 million from the Israeli Ministry of Defense for projects related to drone navigation and missile systems. Students at the University of Michigan have highlighted investments in companies that produce drones or fighter jets used by Israel, as well as the impact of surveillance technologies employed at checkpoints entering Gaza. However, University of Michigan officials have stated that they do not directly invest in Israeli companies.
Israel's Academic Collaboration in the Islamic World
Israel's soft power in education and academia is not limited to "friendly" countries. It has attempted to influence potentially hostile countries, including Muslim-majority nations, by collaborating with them. For instance, universities in Turkey, such as Koç, Marmara, and Özyeğin, allegedly have various levels of cooperation with Israel. Following the normalisation of relations with Israel in December 2020, it was observed that Israel immediately sought to strengthen academic collaboration with Arab countries, too.
Aftermath of the normalisation process, the Moroccan Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research signed cooperation agreements with Israeli partners. Several Moroccan-Israeli university collaboration agreements were also signed, including a deal in August 2021 between Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Additionally, agreements were signed in November 2022 between Rabat International University and Ben-Gurion University, and in 2023, three agreements were signed between Fez Mediterranean University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv University, and Shenkar College of Engineering and Design. Morocco's decision in December 2020 to re-establish diplomatic relations with Israel aligns with other countries in the region, such as the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Sudan, and follows the precedent set by Egypt and Jordan, which signed peace treaties with Israel in 1979 and 1994, respectively.
Another country that entered into academic collaboration with Israel following normalisation is the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Israeli universities signed an educational cooperation agreement with the UAE's Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence and the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. This agreement marks the first collaboration between higher education institutions of the two countries and includes joint AI research and the establishment of a joint online AI institute. Additionally, exchange programs between the universities are also planned.
Situation After Operation Al-Aqsa Flood
After October 7th, Israel's image has significantly shifted in the global space. Many individuals and institutions have begun to perceive the Zionists in a new light. One area where Israel and Zionist forces are facing significant challenges is in academic dominance. This is as the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) Movement, especially in the West, has intensified its efforts to weaken Zionist influence in academia.
According to a report published by the BDS Movement on May 19, the student-led and faculty-supported campaign to apply pressure on Israel has prompted numerous universities worldwide to review or suspend their relationships with Israeli academic institutions. As of June 2, the BDS report lists several universities that have adopted measures to sever ties and impose academic boycotts against Israeli institutions. These universities are located in countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Norway, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Australia, Belgium, Finland, Mexico, Chile, Ireland, Brazil, Canada, and South Africa.
Headlines like "Universities Stand Against Israeli Oppression" have quickly spread across global media. Hundreds of thousands of university students have gathered on campuses to protest Israel's attacks on Gaza. On April 17, a demonstration at Columbia University in the United States, which led to the arrest of hundreds of students, sparked a wave of pro-Palestinian support rallies worldwide, with about 3,000 people being detained. In Europe, students continued to organise protests in support of Palestine. In France, Germany, the UK, and other parts of the continent, students faced harsh police interventions and arrests during these protests. University protests were organised in Turkey and other countries to support these student activists.
Severing Ties
Divestment movements on university campuses have a long history of addressing social injustices, from the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s to the anti-apartheid campaigns in South Africa during the 1970s and 1980s. Today, pro-Palestinian student protesters are demanding that universities divest from companies profiting from Israel. Recent developments suggest that these efforts are beginning to bear fruit.
Since February, various universities worldwide have started severing ties with Israel and its associated institutions due to what is being termed "educide" (education genocide). For instance, according to the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), 350 academics from the University of Flanders in the U.S. and four universities in Norway have cut ties with Israel. Additionally, on April 2, 2024, BDS Turkey called for Koç, Marmara, and Özyeğin universities to cancel their cooperation agreements with Israeli academic institutions. The statement emphasised that Israeli academic institutions support the war by providing logistical support to military units and engaging in propaganda activities.
Spanish universities have decided to sever relations with Israeli institutions that do not fully adhere to peace and international humanitarian law. On the other hand, they pledged to increase cooperation with Palestinian research and higher education institutions. CRUE, representing 76 private and public universities in Spain, is committed to combating antisemitism and anti-Muslim behaviour within universities. At Trinity College Dublin, students won a victory after setting up a Gaza Solidarity Camp for five days, leading the administration to pledge to end all relations with Israeli companies.
In the United States, where Zionist influence is strongly felt in universities, severing ties is challenging. However, some institutions have begun to take steps in this direction. In April, the Rutgers University Student Assembly announced that 80% of its members voted in favour of divestment. Brown University is set to hold a similar vote in October. Pressure is mounting on other universities to follow suit. Despite this, the significant influence of Zionist investments in major universities makes divestment decisions difficult.
Conclusion
While the responses may still be minimal, there is no doubt that the Israeli academia has begun to feel the impact of the call for divestment. Leading Israeli institutions such as the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv University, and the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology have expressed their concerns. Certainly, even though these disruptions have not done much, it has contributed to increasing international awareness of the Palestinian issue and amplifying demands for justice on a broader platform. More importantly, we believe that demoting Zionist companies and institutions will not only have adverse effects on the Israeli economy but will also lead to the growth of institutions and companies that do not support Zionism.
Be the first to comment .