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Statement by all Belgian University Rectors on the situation in Gaza 9 August 2025

Publié le 9 août 2025 – Mis à jour le 9 août 2025

Universities carry not only the responsibility to educate and to carry out research, but also the duty to uphold and defend the values that bind humanity together. In that spirit, we cannot remain silent in the face of the inhumane conditions and deep humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Violence and dehumanization — from any side — must be unequivocally condemned.

What has been unfolding in Gaza over the past months violates every principle of human dignity: more than 60,000 civilian casualties, the blocking of humanitarian aid, and a worsening famine. According to the United Nations, two of the three criteria for declaring a famine in Gaza have already been met.
 

We therefore urge the Belgian Government to act decisively and humanely and call for the immediate and unrestricted delivery of humanitarian aid. We welcome Belgium's organization of food airdrops.
 

However, this should not distract from the immense scale of this food and health crisis, which can only be alleviated through a complete ceasefire and unconditional humanitarian aid delivered by land.
 

We call on the Belgian Government to issue a strong condemnation of the dehumanizing violence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and to prepare further actions, jointly with other countries.
 

We appeal to the Belgian Government to actively support and pursue our earlier request to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement immediately. Article 2 of the Association Agreement is not a technicality, but a cornerstone: respect for human rights and democratic values must underpin any cooperation with third countries. If this foundation is systematically undermined, consequences must follow. Otherwise, our European values risk becoming hollow words.
 

We emphasize that the Belgian universities are not alone in this call to action, and that even voices inside Israel declare the situation untenable. The Presidents of Tel Aviv University, Hebrew University, the Open University, the Weizmann Institute of Science, and the Technion all acknowledge the immense harm inflicted on children and infants and stress the moral imperative by the Israeli Government to respond to the drama in Gaza.
 

The words of UN Secretary-General António Guterres resonate powerfully: “This is a test of our shared humanity — a test we cannot afford to fail”. We call on the Belgian Government, and more specifically on its Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, to do everything possible to pass this test.


 

Annick Castiaux (UNamur), Jan Danckaert (VUB), Philippe Dubois (UMons), Herwig Leirs (UAntwerpen), Anne-Sophie Nyssen (ULiège), Annemie Schaus (ULB), Françoise Smets (UCLouvain), Rik Van de Walle (UGent), Bernard Vanheusden (UHasselt), Severine Vermeire (KU Leuven)


 

This statement is also supported by Luc Sels (honorary rector KU Leuven)