Boycott, Divest and Sanction (BDS) Report for Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU)


1. Introduction
2. Research Programs
3. Tel Aviv University
4. Reichman University
5. Repressions at HHU
6. Sanctions against Russia
7. Demands

Appendix 1
Appendix 2
Sources


Introduction

With this report, we, the students of Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf (HHU), call upon our university administration to implement Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israeli academic institutions, particularly in light of HHU’s close ties with Reichman University in Herzliya.
We urge HHU to suspend all collaborations with Israeli academic institutions and to conduct a critical investigation into these partnerships, as such institutions play a key role in sustaining Israel’s occupation in a modernized and institutionalized form.

Israeli institutions of higher education “have played a key role in planning, implementing and justifying Israel’s occupation and apartheid policies.” [1]

Therefore, HHU bears the responsibility to suspend these collaborations and to take a critical stance against the academic institutional support for Israel’s ongoing violations of international law and human rights. These violations include the systematic targeting of civilian populations, the destruction of civilian institutions, the obstruction of medical aid, and the forced displacement of Palestinian communities — acts which continue to threaten countless lives.

According to the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, genocide is defined as:

“Any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:

These criteria clearly correspond to the actions of the Israeli government, whose policies of displacement, systematic violence, and denial of fundamental rights to the Palestinian population have been ongoing since before the foundation of the state in 1948.
Since October 7th, 2023, Israel has, by definition, committed genocide against the Palestinian people. Current reports document over 71,391 deaths, 171,279 injuries, approximately 90,000 malnourished children, 1.6 million people in Gaza facing acute food insecurity, 81% of all structures destroyed or damaged, and the killing of more than 18,863 school students, among countless other atrocities. [3]

Israeli academic institutions maintain direct ties to the Israeli government and military. Programs such as Erez, in which “military and academic training are intertwined” and students are transformed “from civilians to elite fighters,”[4]

and military doctrines such as the Dahiya Doctrine developed at the Tel Aviv University, which explicitly promote large-scale destruction of civilian infrastructure[5] , demonstrate that these institutions are deeply embedded in the machinery of occupation and warfare.

HHU must therefore act in accordance with international law and human rights and terminate all academic ties with Israeli universities and institutions.

The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement is a Palestinian-led global movement advocating for freedom, justice and equality. Inspired by the South African anti-apartheid struggle, BDS seeks to pressure Israel to comply with international law and uphold fundamental human rights. Since its launch in 2005, BDS has grown into a worldwide movement with significant impact, including numerous academic institutions that have suspended or reviewed ties with Israeli partners. [6] [8]

Moreover, Israel systematically denies Palestinian students access to higher education and repeatedly targets Palestinian universities and academic institutions, revealing the selective and political nature of its proclaimed commitment to “academic freedom.” [7]

For these reasons, it is of critical importance that academic institutions worldwide participate in the isolation of Israeli academia as a means of preventing further violations and upholding ethical responsibility.

This report critically examines HHU’s collaborations with Israeli academic institutions, including exchange programs, joint research projects, and institutional partnerships, and analyzes their political, ethical, and legal implications in light of Israel’s ongoing violations of international law and human rights.

It further documents HHU’s increasingly restrictive and repressive conduct toward students and academic staff regarding engagement with the topic of Palestine, including the banning of events, obstruction of campus initiatives, enforced modification of student-organized activities, prevention of public discussions, and administrative suppression of student groups. Such practices directly contradict the university’s stated commitment to academic freedom, open discourse, and democratic participation.

Additionally, the report highlights the university’s selective and inconsistent application of ethical standards, particularly when contrasted with its immediate termination of collaborations with Russian institutions following the illegal invasion of Ukraine. This disparity raises serious concerns about HHU’s institutional integrity and commitment to universal human rights principles.

Together, these issues demonstrate that HHU’s current policies do not reflect institutional neutrality but rather constitute active political positioning that contributes to the normalization of systemic injustice.

Accordingly, we call upon HHU and its administration to:

We further call upon our fellow students to:

Research Programs

Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf collaborates on 8 active projects with 7 Israeli partners or companies arming or financially supporting Israel.

They are:

GAIN4CROPS:
https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/862087

The Horizon project GAIN4CROPS is coordinated by the HHU and tries to increase crop yield by rewiring photorespiration. The Israel AI company NRGene Technologies is a participant in this project. After NRGene´s founding in 2010 its founders recruited hackers and developers who had served in the Israeli Defence Forces’ elite cyber intelligence unit, Unit 8200.[9]

EPIC:
https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101137221

This project includes the Hadassah Medical Organization. Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America has voiced outspoken support of Israel’s position in the attack on Gaza. The founder of Hadassah Henrietta Szold was key in overturning the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3379 which described Zionism as racism. The organization has also set up the School of Military Medicine in Israel where they train students for the Medical Corps of the IDF.[10]

GLIOMATCH:
https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101136670

GLIOMATCH is a Horizon research project including the HHU and the Israel Rambam Hospital. The Rambam Teaching Hospital is “the designated healthcare provider for the IDF Northern Command” and is thus intimately involved in the training of IDF reservists. While it is not a military hospital (as these do not exist in Israel), “Rambam is about as close to that as possible”, since it works closely with the Home Front Command (the national guard) in addition to the occupational forces of the IDF.[11][12]

EuPRAXIA and HEAL:
https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101079773
https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101056712

The Mount Scopus Campus, the biggest Campus of the University, is built on illegally occupied land in East Jerusalem.[14]

EuCARE:
https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101046016

IBM Israel is partnered in this project. “IBM manages the Israeli Population Registry – the Aviv and Eitan Systems. The Israeli Population Registry includes information on non-citizens Palestinian residents of occupied East Jerusalem, Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, and Syrians in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights. Through this registry, the Israeli authorities control the permits required for Palestinian workers who work within Israel and in Israeli settlements, as well as permits needed for Palestinians to cross the Green Line for medical needs, family visits, travel abroad, etc., as part of Israel’s repressive permit regime. “Furthermore IBM’s fully owned Israeli subsidiary, Red Hat Israel, works extensively with the Israeli military, providing edge computing and software-based storage data centers to multiple units of the Israeli military.”[15]

ComeInCell: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101168939

Tel Aviv University is a member of this project.

PACRI: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101188004

Thales has many connections to the Israeli military and has therefore been the target of many boycott protest. Thales has been involved in the Israeli military supply chain for decades, providing various systems and components for the Israeli Air Force, Navy, and Ground Forces. Thales also supplies equipment for Israeli fighter jets, such as the F-15 and F-35. In addition, Thales provides Israel with radars, missiles, electronic warfare systems, communication systems, and naval equipment. Thales collaborates with Elbit, Israel’s largest defence contractor, and together they own a subsidiary, UAV Tactical Systems (U-TacS), which manufactures attack drones.[41][16]

Tel Aviv University (TAU)

HHU has a partnership with the Tel Aviv University (TAU).[17] Additionally the faculties of Arthistory and Economics both have partnerships in the context of the Erasmus Project.

Tel Aviv University (TAU) has close ties with both the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) and the Israeli Military- Industrial Complex.

It hosts the Institute for national security policy (INSS) [18]which aims to influence “Israel’s long-term national security policy”[19]. As a think tank and a research institute it influences Israeli public opinion in both geopolitical and security policy. It developed the “Dahiya Doctrine” calling for massive disproportionate force and deliberate targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure. Richard Falk, a professor emeritus of international law at Princeton University has called it “overt violation of the most elementary norms of the law of war and of universal morality”[20]. An investigation by the University of Washington’s Department of Global Health has condemned it, as it “intentionally violates international humanitarian law”[21].

In addition to hosting the INSS, TAU works directly with the IDF as part of the Erez Program. Which trains IDF cadets to serve as commanders on the TAU campus. Part of the Erez Program includes a bachelors at the TAU[22]. It aims that participants have “a diverse skill set acquired during their combat service, coupled with a bachelor’s degree and command experience.” [22] . Students of TAU have condemned it as turning “campus into an army base”[23].

TAU also funds a private venture capital firm “TAU Ventures”[26]. Which among others provides funding for XTEND, an Israeli arms development company, which specializes in “AI-assisted tactical robotics” [25]. XTEND works closely together with the IDF and is heavily involved in the Gaza Genocide. Aviv Shapira, the CEO of XTEND has called TAU Ventures “the home for the XTEND team, giving us the space, support, funding”[24] .

TAUs close links to the IDF extend to the Elrom Center, a joint center with the IDF air force, which researches into the ” development and adaptation of the Air Force’s operational concepts, combat doctrines, and power- building processes.” [27]. According to IAF Commander Norkin the explicit goal is “to ensure the position of the IAF as one of the leading forces in the world”, in keeping with the vision of first prime minister of Israel and of the Nakba Ben Gurion: “the air is a new kingdom we must conquer” [28]

Reichman University Herzliya

Over one third of the student body of the Reichman University comes from the Raphael Recanati International School. The Raphael Recanati International School is host to over 2500 students from over 90 countries. The school proudly proclaims itself as Zionists. Vice President for External Relations & Head of the Raphael Recanati International School Mr. Jonathan Davis describes the Reichman University in an interview with the Jerusalem Post titled ”From lone soldier to university leader, Davis has shaped Reichman into a hub of Zionism, safety, and Jewish leadership.”:

“In order to teach here, faculty members must teach in a Zionist atmosphere,” he says. “They can be left-wing Zionists, centrist Zionists, or right-wing Zionists. The common denominator of those different shades of Zionism is that each one of them is willing to sacrifice in defending the Jewish and democratic state from those who wish to destroy our country and everything we stand for.”

The main goal of the RRIS is to spread its Zionists propaganda.

“For Davis, calling means providing students with a “Zionist toolkit.” About half of the international students go on to make Aliyah, while the others return home with a transformed sense of self. “They’ve tasted Israeli democracy. They’ve seen freedom of speech, freedom of expression. They’ve experienced independence and responsibility,” he explains. “When they go back, they become automatic ambassadors for Israel, because they know the truth.””

“Aliyah” is a key concept of Zionism. It is the Hebrew word for “ascent” and means the “return” of Jews to Israel.

He furthermore describes the meaning of the school: “It’s seeing a student arrive here as a stranger, unsure of everything, and then flourish, completing their degree, serving in the IDF, starting a family here, or returning abroad to lead their community. That’s the true fulfilment of Zionism. We witness Zionism in action daily.” [29][30]

Reichman University has special scholarships for IDF reservists. It even provides guidance for students interested in joining the IDF. At the end of the school year there is a workshop for students interested in joining the IDF that is staffed by key IDF personnel. In an article he describes the schools attitude towards the IDF as follows: “Reichman stands firmly behind its more than 4,000 reservists. “As a Zionist institution, we’ve always prioritized those who serve our country,” explains Davis. “We do everything we can to support them, from the admissions process, to awarding academic credit for elite IDF service, to flexible accommodations like extra classes and extended deadlines.”“[31]

The law faculty and the HHU has an exchange program with the Radzyner-Law-School. The HHU writes about their relations:

“Die Juristische Fakultät Düsseldorf unterhält enge Kontakte zur Radzyner-Law-School, der ersten Fakultät der renommierten Reichman University in Herzliya in der Nähe von Tel Aviv. Dabei besteht sowohl die Möglichkeiten an gemeinsamen Seminaren und Vorträgen teilzunehmen, als auch für mehrere Wochen wechselseitig an den Universitäten zu hospitieren.

Unter der Schirmherrschaft des nordrhein-westfälischen Ministerpräsidenten ist die Heinrich-Heine-Universität nunmehr Partneruniversität für den landesweiten Israelaustausch geworden, so dass sich die Beziehungen immer weiter verfestigen und interessierten Studierenden, aber auch Assistenten/innen und Dozenten/innen eine Möglichkeit gegeben wird, eine spannende Rechtsordnung und ein interessantes Land näher kennen zu lernen.“

"The law faculty has close contacts to the Radzyner-Law-School, the first Faculty of the respected Reichman University in Herzliya near Tel Aviv. Students get the opportunity to attend shared seminars and lectures or visit the other University for multiple weeks at a time.
Under the leadership of the northrhein-westfalian Minister President the HHU has become the partner university for the state wide student exchange to Israel, such that the relations continue to strengthen and interessted students, or faculty members, are given the possibility to see a fascinating legal system and an interesting country up close"

Additionally, there is an yearly German- Israel exchange seminar where law students from the HHU and Radzyner-Law-School discuss different law topics.

Repression against Pro-Palestinian Students at HHU

One-sided solidarity
Within the last two and a half years HHU has continuously repressed Pro-Palestinian student initiatives.

Shortly after the 7th October 2023 the rectorate set the tone by sending out an e-mail to all of the students and employees where they showed a one-sided focus on Israeli and Jewish victims. Palestinian victims were not recognised. The University only wrote about “numerous calls for violence against Jews and for demonstrations supporting Hamas”. Before there even was any political action on the campus of Düsseldorf, they ensured that every HHU affiliate knew they would sanction supposed acts of antisemitism and racism possibly with “criminal charges as well as deregistration and dismissal.”

After that they put up a banner with the pictures of the Israeli hostages. During the increasingly visible Genocide against the Palestinian people the rectorate never showed any symbol of solidarity.

Protests on Campus
The University also distanced itself from student led protests on campus. On 21th May 2024 the University sent out an official mail where they informed about a protest the next day from the student organisations SfP (Students for Palestine) and SDS (Socialist-democratic Studentunion). They explained that they could do nothing about the protest, because their authority does not apply to all areas of campus. They also implied a relation between the protest and antisemitism.[39]
The University wrote two similar official E-Mails with regard to the protest camp in June 2024. They explained they had no authority over the campus, where the protest was going to be held (because it is a public space), but that the police will press charges against violence, insults, anti-semitic or racist symbols, and that the university would take further action in case the protest would spill over in the university buildings.

Considering that the university has not send these kinds of mails with regard to other protests on campus we must assume a prejudgement of Pro-Palestinian actors

Prohibition of Student Events

HHU has repeatedly reacted repressively to discussion events organized by the student body. For example, a lecture entitled “What is the Nakba? The expulsion of Palestinians in the past and today,” which the SDS had planned for May 14, 2024, was effectively banned. After the event registration was initially approved, the SDS received an email on May 13, 2024, in which the university suddenly imposed conditions under which the event had to take place.
The SDS was informed that the event could only take place if the university’s conditions were met, which included the exclusion of all external guests, the development of a security concept designed to prevent anti-Semitic and discriminatory statements, and the presence of a private security service, which the student organizers would have had to pay for themselves. Of course, there was no way to meet these conditions one day before the event.
In addition, HHU banned an exhibition commemorating killed Palestinian students. Students for Palestine had launched a petition calling on the university to supplement the banner of Israeli hostages with a banner featuring Palestinian victims. In a personal conversation with the rector, Prof. Dr. Anja Steinbeck, the request of Students for Palestine was rejected. However, during the conversation the idea for a memorial exhibition for murdered Palestinian students came up, which was “encouraged” by the rector. Students for Palestine therefore designed such an exhibition, which was to take place in the foyer of the University and State Library (ULB). When they sent their concept to the university management by email, however, the exhibition was rejected in harsh tones by Martin Goch.

After Martin Goch received the exhibition proposal by email, he consulted with the Ministry of Culture and the rector, who was on vacation at the time. Everyone agreed that the event should be banned. In the email received by Students for Palestine, Martin Goch justified the ban by stating that the exhibition “posed a significant risk to safety and order on campus” and would “massively impair the proper functioning of study and teaching.” According to its own statement, the university had come to this assessment “after weighing all aspects with the help of expert opinions.” An inquiry by Students for Palestine to “Frag den Staat” (Ask the State) revealed the internal communication. This shows that no experts were consulted, only the Ministry of Culture. However, the ministry only confirmed that the university’s decision would receive public attention. Therefore, special attention should be paid to the reasons for the ban. “Security and order on campus as well as the functioning of teaching and administration should be taken into account.”
This is clearly not an assessment of the safety and functionality of teaching, but rather a consultation regarding PR strategy.[40]

Interestingly, internal communications also show that, as a result of this exhibition, the rector, Anja Steinbeck, suggested “tightening the rules again for the next semester […] otherwise we will spend the entire semester assessing annoying individual cases because each side will try to push us around.” Some time later, the university did indeed introduce a new document on event registration. The following three questions were added to the old document:

In November 2024, following the ban on the Nakba lecture and commemorative exhibition, the SDS and SfP published an open letter calling for critical discourse and an end to event bans at HHU. Despite more than 500 signatures from the student body, HHU never publicly responded to this letter.

Instead, they banned another event entitled “War in Gaza: What Germany is (not) doing,” which was to take place on November 19, 2024. The ban was justified on the grounds that, after reviewing the speakers, the university feared that “anti-Semitic statements” might be made. This was surprising because the speakers were two members of the SDS who had not previously spoken publicly on the subject.

However, during a Senate meeting, it emerged that the speakers listed on the form had not been vetted. Instead, reference was made to
speakers listed on an outdated poster that had been published before the application was submitted. These were Lena Obermeier and Michael Sappir, who produce the podcast “Parallelwelt Palästina” (Parallel World Palestine). This meant that our Chancellor Martin Goch had accused Michael Sappir, an Israeli Jew, of anti-Semitism.

In October 2025, an event entitled “The Origins of the Conflict between Israel and Palestine” was held. The university did not issue a ban, but demanded that admission be restricted to members of the HHU.

Even if the last event was tolerated by the university, HHU has nevertheless failed to show a decent amount of solidarity to Palestinians and students on its own campus. Not only did it show a one sided view of the situation in Palestine but actively embraced authoritarian measures against its students.

Sanctions against Russia by the HHU

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) announced their decision to restrict German-Russian exchange relations on February 25, 2022. The institution terminated all applications for Russian scholarships, cancelled scholarships to Russia, and froze financial support for German students, who are already receiving funding for their academic stay in Russia. The president Joybrato Mukherjee justifies this decision by commenting that “in the view of war, we believe it is imperative to critically review the promotion of exchange relations with Russia” (DAAD 2022). The DAAD’s announcement included the expectation for all German universities to suspend their DAAD-funded project activities with partner institutions in Russia as well as Belarus.

The German Rector’s Conference (HRK) declared one day earlier that they will explore their options regarding the academic relations between Germany, Russia and Ukraine in cooperation with German academic organisations – such as the DAAD – as well as in consultation with the German Federal Government. Simultaneously, they announced their solidarity with Ukraine and concern for the well-being of Ukrainian scholars and students. Furthermore, they proclaim the assistance as well as aid of German universities for Ukrainian academics within the scope of their abilities (HRK 2022).

On the 28th of February, 2022, the HHU announced their solidarity with the people of Ukraine and promised aid. Furthermore, they proclaim their full endorsement and agreement with the statements issued by the DAAD and HRK (HHU 2022a). The HHU hereby declares to terminate all academic relations with Russia and Belarus that are DAAD-funded. This meant suspending their future and ongoing student exchange programs, its strategic and academic partnership with the Russian and Belarusian universities, such as the Financial University in Moscow (HHU 2021). Furthermore, on the 23rd of March, 2022, the HHU opened a solidary aid programme for scholars and students from Ukraine, including scholarships, mentoring, language courses, and a trilingual information website with links for aid programmes at HHU and elsewhere (HHU 2022b).

At the beginning of March, the HHU published an interview with Prof. Dr. Beate Fieseler about the war in Ukraine, declaring it imperialistic as well as reversionistic. They discuss the role of the Russian media as a propaganda and indoctrination organ for the Russian people, and denote Putin’s statement that Ukraine is committing Genocide on its Russian population as a lie. Putin is described as dictatorial as well as power-hungry, and Ukraine’s civilian population – instead of military or other significant institutions – is identified as the goal of his attacks. Prof. Dr. Fieseler uses the phrase: “Hier soll ein Staat mit seiner ganzen Bevölkerung niedergerungen werden” (Here, a state with its whole population is meant to be destroyed) to describe Putin’s actions (HHU 2022c). With this interview, the HHU takes a critical stance towards Russia’s attacks, opposes their opinions, and declares its solidarity with Ukraine and its civilians.

In August 2022, the HHU strengthend its relations to Ukraine by signing an official, long-term partnership with the Chernivtsi University, showing continued solidarity and support for Ukraine and its scholars by providing “more concrete assistance and establish[ing] direct scientific relations” (HHU 2022d).

In 2024, HHU published their guidelines for academic relations and contacts with Russia and Belarus. The aim is that scientific cooperations should not strengthen the reputation and power-instruments of the current governments in Russia and Belarus. Individuals contacts and encounters will be maintained, especially those reinforcing the opposition in Russia and Belarus. The guidelines declare that all official cooperations will be reviewed and – if necessary – revised with the possibility of termination. New cooperation agreements are precluded for now, and any collaborations of HHU-members with (Bela)Russian scientists and scholars, who openly issue statements of pro-Russian government content, are terminated. Furthermore, no business trips and all mobility to Russia and Belarus is barred, and no joint events or functions with (Bela)Russian scientific institutions are permitted. Lastly, all financial support is discontinued (HHU 2024).

These actions undertaken by the HHU by severing ties and connection with (Bela)Russian educational and academic institutions set a precedent for the university. The HHU has proven prior experience in the bureaucratic as well as administrative aspects of participating in academic boycotts. [32] [33] [34] [35] [36] [37] [38]

Demands

As a result of the situation described in this report these following demands are necessary to ensure academic neutrality and freedom.
First we demand an official Statement recognising the Israeli offence on Palestinian land as a genocide. This statement must include a declaration of solidarity with the Palestinian people.
We call for an end of all affiliations with Israeli universities and therefore with the Israeli military. The report lists cooperations between HHU and Israeli institutions, most of which work directly with the Israeli military (IDF). These Partnerships do not only condone but also fund the genocide happening in Gaza right now. We especially want to point out the collaborations with the Reichman and Tel Aviv University. We do not call for a boycott of individual people but of institutions that enable this genocide.
We demand the end of all repression against students and personnel educating on and protesting for Palestine. As described above, meetings regarding the topic of Palestinian History and resistance have been suddenly cancelled by HHU authority. The leaked chats with the head of the HHU show these cancellations happened out of political reasons and had no actual cause.
Following the publication of this report we expect the head of HHU to act on our demands and take responsibility for their current genocide supporting stand.



Appendix 1: Precedence at other European Universities

Several European universities have taken steps to sever ties with Israeli institutions involved in military research or located in illegal settlements, in order to comply with international humanitarian Law. The HHU would not be an exceptional case in Europe for taking such measures, but it could be a positive example for doing so in Germany. Amongst the Universities that have taken these steps:

University Actions taken
University of Ghent (Belgium) Rector resolved to discontinue all ongoing institutional collaborations with Israeli universities and research institutions, following advice on involvement in human rights violations [42]
Université Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium) Suspended ties with both Israeli and Palestinian universities until “their respective university authorities make a clear commitment to the demands made by the International Court of Justice [...] and the unconditional release of the Israeli hostages" [43]

Oslo Metropolitan University (Norway)

Put on hold the exchange agreement with the University of Haifa, pledged not to enter into any new agreements with complicit Israeli universities, and committed to work to end procurement contracts with suppliers linked to Israel’s military or illegal settlements [44]
University of Southeastern Norway Cut ties with Haifa University, pledged not to enter into any new agreements with complicit Israeli universities, and will work to end procurement contracts with suppliers linked to Israel’s military or illegal settlements [45]
University of Bergen (Norway) Ended its cooperation agreements with Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design after it created a workshop on campus to design and sew uniforms and gear for the Israeli military [46]
The Bergen School of Architecture (Norway) Ended its cooperation agreements with Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design over its work with the Israeli military [46]
University of Stavanger (Norway) Cut all institutional collaboration agreements with Israeli institutions, due to the war in Gaza, which is contrary to international law. US will not enter into any new agreements as long as hostilities are ongoing [47]
University of Turin (Italy) Suspended a collaboration agreement with Israeli universities and research institutes [48]
University of Barcelona (Spain) Approved a motion calling for "the severance of institutional and academic relations" with Israeli institutions in solidarity with Palestine [49]
Conference of University Rectors in Spain (CRUE) Announced that it would cut ties with Israeli universities and research centers “that have not expressed a firm commitment to peace and compliance with international humanitarian law” [50]
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland) Agreed to divest from Israeli firms and establish a task force to review ties with Israeli academic institutions after student protests [51]

Appendix 2: Academic organizations that have approved a BDS Resolution

The following is a list of academic international organizations that have approved one or several BDS resolutions. This account is non-exhaustive, and only those associated with fields of study represented within the HHU have been prioritized, in the understanding that either individual academics or German academic organizations form part of these organizations and are under the obligation to act in accordance with them.

Organization Date Source
African Literature Association 2014 Link
American Anthropological Association (AAA) 03.2023 Link
American Studies Association (ASA) 04.12.2013 Link
Association for Humanist Sociology 10.01.2013 Link
Critical Ethnic Studies Association 07.2014 Link
Middle East Studies Association 23.03.2022 Link
National Women’s Studies Association (NWSA) 2015 -2024 Link
Native American and Indigenous Studies Association (NAISA) 13.12.2013 Link
Peace and Justice Studies Association (PJSA) 05.11.2014 Link
Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO) 10.06.2022 Link

Sources

  1. [1] PACBI, “PACBI Guidelines for the International Academic Boycott of Israel,” July 9, 2014, bdsmovement.net; BDS Movement, “Academic Boycott,” bdsmove ment.net.From “Towers of Ivory and Steel - How Israeli Universities Deny Palestinian Freedom”, Maya Wind, First published by Verso 2024

  2. [2](Approved and proposed for signature and ratification or accession by General Assembly resolution 260 A (III) of 9 December 1948 Entry into force: 12 January 1951, in accordance with article XIII)

  3. Reported impact snapshot | Gaza Strip (6 January 2026) by OCHA, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs)

  4. Introduction, from “Towers of Ivory and Steel - How Israeli Universities Deny Palestinian Freedom” Maya Wind First published by Verso 2024

  5. https://imeu.org/resources/resources/explainer-the-dahiya-doctrine-israels-use-of-disproportionate-force/175

  6. https://bdsmovement.net/what-bds

  7. https://bdsmovement.net/academic-boycott

  8. https://bdsmovement.net/news/universities-are-ending-complicity-israeli-apartheid-and-its-gaza-genocide-numbers-never-seen

  9. https://web.archive.org/web/20260416061838/https://www.timesofisrael.com/nrgene-eyes-human-genomes-with-game-changing-tech/

  10. https://www.hadassah.org.il/en/militarymedschool/

  11. https://web.archive.org/web/20260416063315/https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-777050

  12. https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/rambam-and-the-idf

  13. https://criticallegalthinking.com/2017/11/23/statement-against-holding-esil-at-the-hebrew-university/

  14. https://web.archive.org/web/20260416063823/https://www.whoprofits.org/companies/company/7236

  15. https://worldbeyondwar.org/fr/canadastoparmingisrael/

  16. https://www.hhu.de/internationales/partnerschaften

  17. https://www.inss.org.il/history/

  18. https://www.inss.org.il/mission/

  19. https://richardfalk.org/honoring-a-war-criminal-by-us-government-without-shame-or-regret/

  20. https://web.archive.org/web/20240919201805/https://depts.washington.edu/globalhealthjustice/israels-dahiya-doctrine-intentionally-violates-international-humanitarian-l

  21. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-721012

  22. https://www.972mag.com/tau-army-militarization-palestinian-students/

  23. https://www.tauventures.co.il/our-story/

  24. https://www.xtend.me/mission

  25. https://www.tauventures.co.il/portfolio/

  26. https://english.tau.ac.il/news/air-and-space-power

  27. https://web.archive.org/web/20260416064340/https://www.aftau.org/news_item/tau-and-israeli-air-force-launch-air-and-space-power-center/

  28. https://web.archive.org/web/20260416064507/https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-868346

  29. https://web.archive.org/web/20260416064630/https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/culture/article-872828

  30. https://www.haaretz.com/haaretz-labels/power/2025-10-09/ty-article-labels/.premium/a-home-for-jewish-identity-and-academic-excellence/00000199-c7eb-d198-abdb-dfefce230000

  31. daad.de/en/press-releases

  32. hrk.de/press/press-releases

  33. hhu.de/news-einzelansicht/solidarisches-hilfsprogramm-der-hhu

  34. hhu.de/en/news-article

  35. hhu.de/en/news-article/partnerschaft-zwischen-der-hhu-und-der-ukrainischen-universitaet-czernowitz

  36. ppe.hhu.de/studium/informationen-zum-auslandsaufenthalt-1

  37. hhu.de

  38. They wrote: "We assume that there will be no criminal statements or actions during the event, which according to the organisers will bring together around 150 people on campus. As is evident from media reports, anti-Semitic insults, abuse and physical violence against Jews have been perpetrated at universities, particularly in the USA, but also occasionally in Germany, in the context of similarly organised events. At HHU, we unequivocally condemn this behaviour."

  39. The Students for Palestine reconstructed the events concerning the ban of the exhibition in an article published by dis:orient: https://disorient.de/magazin/die-universitaet-duesseldorf-bringt-palaestinasolidaritaet-zum-schweigen-repression-an-deutschen-universitaeten>

  40. https://web.archive.org/web/20260416064119/https://pivot.quebec/2024/02/27/action-a-quebec-contre-une-entreprise-contribuant-a-leffort-de-guerre-israelien/

  41. https://www.ugent.be/en/news-events/cooperation-with-israeli-partners-update-31-may-2024

  42. https://ejpress.org/belgian-universities-suspend-agreements-and-research-projects-with-israeli-institutions/

  43. https://ansatt.oslomet.no/en/siste-nytt/-/nyhet/oslomet-setter-utvekslingsavtale-pa-pause

  44. https://www.usn.no/nyhetsarkiv/avslutter-samarbeid-med-universiteter-i-israel

  45. https://kunstavisen.no/nyheter/uib-avslutter-avtale-med-israelsk-kunstakademi

  46. https://www.uis.no/en/about-uis/uis-ends-institutional-cooperation-with-israel

  47. https://www.timesofisrael.com/italys-university-of-turin-to-exit-israel-research-pact-amid-gaza-protests/

  48. https://www.elnacional.cat/en/politics/university-barcelona-faculty-break-academic-relations-israel_1212231_102.html

  49. https://www.uab.cat/web/newsroom/news-detail/communique-by-the-crue-1345830290613.html?detid=1345916272184

  50. https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/may/08/trinity-college-dublin-agrees-to-divest-from-israeli-firms-after-student-protest