CAMPAIGNERS have welcomed the news that three European universities have ended agreements with Ariel University, located in an illegal Israeli settlement on occupied Palestinian land. 

The European Union and member states, while usually silent against Israel’s aggression, do not recognise Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank and East Jerusalem. 

But institutions and companies in the settlements often have deals with their counterparts globally. 

In early March, the University of Valencia confirmed that it would not implement a collaboration agreement with Ariel University in line with the university’s commitment to human rights.

The agreement between the two universities was first approved in May 2019 but was suspended and placed under review just months later following protests from the student union BEA over Ariel University’s direct role in Israel’s military occupation. 

BEA, along with other student and teachers unions as well as the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) group in Valencia, also held meetings with university management to discuss the agreement. 

Previously, the Institute of Technological Research Saint-Exupery in France and Italy’s University of Florence confirmed that they had ended collaboration agreements with Ariel University. 

Academics in France had written to the university and the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, stressing France’s obligations under international law.

The No Ariel Ties campaign said that it welcomed the universities’ decisions to “uphold their moral and legal obligations not to assist Israel’s grave violations of international law.

“The University of Florence, however, maintains a cultural and scientific collaboration agreement between Ariel University and the faculties of architecture and history, archaeology, geography, fine and performing arts,” it said in a statement.

“Consistent with the principled decision to end the mobility agreement with Ariel University, the University of Florence must now end all institutional ties with Ariel University in line with the EU and Italy’s clear position on the illegality of Israeli settlements.”

French philosopher Etienne Balibar said: “The advances of the state of Israel, supported by a powerful regional and global coalition, to expropriate the Palestinians and annihilate them as a people, does not mean that all resistance is now futile. 

“We, too, must resist. That’s why we should welcome the decision of European universities to end their co-operation with Ariel University, and hope that their example will be followed by many others.”