Decision of the ULB Academic Council on collaboration with the Weizmann Institute of Science (Israel)

At its 21 November 2024 session, the Council invited any members of the academic staff who wished to initiate an institutional project with other Israeli or Palestinian universities to submit their application to the Respect for International Law and Dual Use Committee as early as possible. As a result, the Committee was asked to examine submissions about two European research projects involving ULB and the Weizmann Institute of Science.

At its 3 July 2025 session, the ULB Academic Council decided to follow the Committee's recommendation not to sign an institutional partnership with the Institute. This decision does not affect individual academic relationships.

The main arguments on which the Academic Council's decision about the Weizmann Institute was based were the institution's direct or indirect contribution to the illegal occupation of Palestinian territories and other breaches of international law. In particular, significant links with arms companies demonstrate that, far from taking all the steps in its power not to endorse or promote the occupation and breaches of international law in Gaza, the Weizmann Institute is contributing to them and making itself responsible for a clear “failure of vigilance”.

The duty of vigilance this institution should have fulfilled is all the more important in the current context, particularly in view of the Orders issued by the International Court of Justice on 26 January, 28 March and 24 May 2024 in the case of Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel), the Advisory Opinion of 19 July 2024 on the Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and the proceedings of the International Criminal Court that resulted in two arrest warrants for war crimes and crimes against humanity being issued on 21 November 2024 in the context of the war in Gaza.

In the view of the Academic Council, this recommendation not to sign an institutional partnership with an institution that has such a close relationship with the Israeli government and arms companies is all the more essential given the catastrophic situation in Gaza and the open letter  published by the Belgian Rectors' Council (CRef) and VLIR calling on the European Commission to suspend the Association Agreement with Israel and consequently the participation of Israeli institutions in Horizon Europe research projects. 

The Academic Council reiterates its invitation to any member of the academic staff wishing to initiate an institutional project with other Israeli universities to submit their application to the above Committee as early as possible.


[1] Open letter from the Belgian Rectors' Council (CRef) and VLIR dated 14 May 2025 – ULB News