Over 600 academics sign a letter calling on Irish Universities to cut ties with Israeli institutions

The letter, addressed Irish Newspapers, stated that many Irish universities and EU-funded research projects have active collaborations with Israeli universities.

“Those ties should be suspended until the occupation of Palestinian territory is ended, the Palestinian rights to equality and self-determination are vindicated, and the right of Palestinian refugees to return is facilitated" the letter asserted.

The academics said the magnitude of Israel’s current siege on the Gaza Strip has exceeded all previous levels of violence “in the prolonged and brutal Israeli occupation of Palestine".

Colonial Historian at the French Department of UCC Dr Hassett has today said on X that he was proud to sign this letter as "a call for collective action at a time when Palestinian Universities are being destroyed and strangled by the Israeli state":

Was proud to sign this letter alongside over 600 colleagues in Ireland and to support a boycott of Israeli academic institutions, a call for collective action at a time when Palestinian universities are being destroyed and strangled by the Israeli state. https://t.co/nNimsiSHbn

— Dónal Hassett (@donalhassett1) November 2, 2023

International law lecturer at Maynooth University and co-author of the letter John Reynolds said Irish third-level partnerships with Israeli institutions range from student and teacher exchange programmes to some Irish-partnered projects which include research on technologies.

“The ones that are our biggest concerns are where there are technologies that are directly feeding into the conflict,” he said.

The letter also raises concerns that several Palestinian universities in Gaza have been destroyed, while academics and students are among the civilians killed.

“With the atrocities in Gaza now added to Israel’s 75 years of colonisation and occupation of Palestinian lands, there should be nothing remotely approximate to ‘business as usual’ continuing,” it reads.

Dr David Landy, assistant professor of sociology at Trinity College Dublin has today said that: "Academic boycott is one of the better form of sanctions. It targets institutions that conduct weapons research and that play a central role in Israel’s regime of control over Palestinians. It also targets elites rather than, say, farmworkers and so is more effective."