Urgent letter: ‘Tilburg University must suspend all ties with Israeli universities’

Urgent letter: ‘Tilburg University must suspend all ties with Israeli universities’

More than two hundred Tilburg University employees raise the alarm in an urgent letter to the Executive Board. They demand that the university suspend all ties with Israeli universities. They also warn of discrimination against pro-Palestinian students and staff.

A weekly sit-in by Palestine Solidarity Tilburg under the bridge to the university library. Image: Univers

To Professor Wim van de Donk, Rector Magnificus and President, Professor Antoinette de Bont, Vice Rector, and Wilma de Koning MSc, Vice President

We write to you to express our deep concern about your current approach to Israeli universities regarding their role in the sustained and ever more massive violations of human rights perpetrated by Israel on the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank. We also express our deep concern about what seems to constitute political profiling and/or discrimination of students and staff members, when exercising their right to freedom of expression to protest against these violations and your approach thereto.

As regards Israeli universities, you have only partially implemented the measures proposed by the Advisory Committee you appointed to review Tilburg University’s response to Israel’s actions. In particular, whereas the committee advised you to suspend relations with all Israeli partner universities, given their active participation in sustained and massive human rights violations by Israel, you have suspended ties with the Reichmann University, while only partially suspending ties with the Bar-Ilan University and continuing ‘dialogue’ with Hebrew University. Yet:

1. The Hebrew University continues to train elite units of the Israeli military for deployment in Gaza and it has not dismantled those parts of its campus located on illegally occupied territory in Jerusalem. Bar-Ilan is no less involved in active support for the war on Gaza.

2. Other Dutch universities have suspended ties with Hebrew University. Radboud University recently suspended collaboration with the Hebrew University and with the University of Tel Aviv, given that ‘Israel’s human rights violations in the Palestinian territories are serious and systematic, and that in a number of cases the universities concerned contribute to direct and specific human rights violations and may be involved in violations of academic integrity.’ The universities of Leiden and Amsterdam have also suspended their institutional ties with the Hebrew University.

3. Erasmus University Rotterdam has suspended ties with Bar-Ilan, noting that ‘there are credible indications of Bar Ilan University’s direct involvement in structural violations of human rights and/or international humanitarian law (including war crimes) both with respect to its excavation activities in Occupied Territory and with respect to its structural entanglement with the State of Israel and IDF in military technology research and in education.’

4. Recent assessments by a) the Dutch Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies, b) the International Association of Genocide Scholars, and c) a UN Independent International Commission coincide in referring to Israel’s policies and actions in Gaza as genocidal, an extremely grave indictment of continued Israeli university support for the war.

5. The June 2025 report ‘Israeli-Dutch Academic Ties,’ written by an independent expert commission composed of Dutch academics, documents ‘the complicity of Israeli academic institutions in shaping the political and cultural grounds for genocide as well as in facilitating its military implementation, often with the direct support of international (e.g. EU-funded) collaborations.’

As regards political profiling, we call your attention to the following:

1. Students were harassed or excluded from participation in the opening of the academic year because they wore the distinctive Palestinian scarf or because ‘students were recognized as having (…) participated in earlier demonstrations of Palestine Solidarity Tilburg and the occupations of the Dante building,’ as you stated yourself on the university website.

2. In addition to being excluded from the opening of the academic year, some staff were prevented from accessing their own workplace, and some student council members were prevented from accessing a university building where they had a scheduled meeting.

While we welcome your statement apologizing for such security measures and signaling your intention to ‘learn’ from what two legal experts characterize as a breach of the constitutional right to freedom of expression, we remain very concerned by information that

3. Photographs are now taken of the participants in the weekly campus sit-ins by students and staff members in solidarity with Palestine.

We call on you, as representatives of our academic community, a community that draws on the rich humanist identity bequeathed to us by its founder, Martinus Cobbenhagen, and which prides itself on ‘contributing to an equitable, inclusive and sustainable society,’ to:

1) Fully implement the measures proposed by your Advisory Committee, in particular the immediate suspension of ties with all partner Israeli universities, including the Hebrew University and Bar-Ilan University;

2) Desist from measures that, if taken, constitute political profiling and/or discrimination of students and staff members who express their solidarity with the Palestinian cause within the limits of the constitutional right to the freedom of expression.

Sincerely,

Aymen Achnine, Student Assistant, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Prof. dr. Peter Achterberg, Full Professor, Sociology, TSB

Prof. dr. Maurice Adams, Full Professor, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Fabiana Alberda, Msc., Academic Services

Anas Altamimi, BA, Academic Services

Dr. Marije van Amelsvoort, Associate Professor, Tilburg Center for the Learning Sciences, TSHD

Rosanna Anderson, LLM, PhD Researcher, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Dr. Anastasiya Ansteeg, Postdoctoral Researcher, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Wouter Appels, MA, Academic Services/Student Administration

Dr. Alfred Archer, Associate Professor, Philosophy, TSHD

Dr. Marcel van Assen, Associate Professor, Methodology and Statistics, TSB

Niken Astiningrum, PhD Researcher/Lecturer, Private, Business, and Labour Law, TLS

Dr. Daniel Augenstein, Associate Professor, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Dr. Juan Auz, Postdoctoral Researcher, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Attabik Awan, MSc, Researcher, Information Systems and Operations Management, TiSEM

Dr. Marleen Balvert, Associate Professor, Zero Hunger Lab, Econometrics & Operations Research, TiSEM

Dr. Mouna Bamoumen, Postdoctoral Researcher, Information Systems and Operations Management, TiSEM

Dr. Shrabastee Banerjee, Assistant Professor, Marketing, TiSEM

Drs. I. Bayrak, Lecturer, Teacher Training in Social Studies, TSB

Dr. Giulia Bazzan, Assistant Professor, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Dr. Suzanne van der Beek, Assistant Professor, Culture Studies/LAS, TSHD

Drs. Tineke Bennema, Science Editor, TSHD and TST

Drs. Dirk van den Berg, Academic Services

Dr. Bezcioğlu-Göktolga, Assistant Professor, Culture Studies, TSHD

Dr. Marjolein de Boer, Assistant Professor, Culture Studies, TSHD

Rosalyn Borst, MA, PhD Researcher, Culture Studies, TSHD

Ed Boschman, LIS

Marieke Bosscher, Academic Services

Dr. Michiel Bot, Associate Professor, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Dr. Jolanda Botke, Assistant Professor, Human Resource Studies, TSB

Anouk Bouma, MSc, PhD Researcher, Methodology and Statistics, TSB

Dr. Siebe Bluijs, Assistant Professor, Tilburg Center of the Learning Sciences, TSHD

Prof. dr. Mario Braakman, Endowed Professor, Criminal Law, TLS

Anaëlle Bueno Patin, Msc, PhD Researcher, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Bob Bugter, MSc, Academic Services

Dr. Lois Burke, Assistant Professor, Culture Studies, TSHD

Jennifer Chen, Msc, PhD Researcher, Methodology & Statistics, TSB

Dr. Tim Christiaens, Assistant Professor, Philosophy, TSHD

Dr. Adriana Clavel Vázquez, Assistant Professor, Philosophy, TSHD

Dr. Jimena Clavel Vázquez, Assistant Professor, Philosophy, TSHD

Dr. Richard Clements, Assistant Professor, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Mr. Rens Claerhoudt, PhD Researcher, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Drs. Mathilde Cohen, PhD Researcher, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Dr. Alex Dela Cruz, Postdoctoral Researcher, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Polle Dankers, Msc, PhD Researcher, Econometrics and Operations Research, TiSEM

Dr. Jesper Davits, Academic Services

Dr. Thomas Decreus, Lecturer, Philosophy, TSHD

Dr. Alice Dejean de la Bâtie, Assistant Professor, Criminal Law, TLS

Prof. dr. Panos Delimatsis, Full Professor, Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology and Society, TLS

Iman Delimustafic, Msc, PhD Researcher, Sociology, TSB

Paul Deuker, MSc, PhD Researcher, Econometrics and Operations Research, TiSEM

Dr. Karlijn van Doorn, Assistant Professor, Private, Business, and Labor Law, TLS

Thessa van Domburg, Msc, Academic Services

Dr. Ellen Dreezens, Lecturer, Liberal Arts and Sciences, TSHD

Omar Dweik, MA, PhD Researcher, Culture Studies, TSHD

Dr. Sagnik Dutta, Researcher, Culture Studies, TSHD

Dr. Jan Engelen, Assistant Professor, Communication and Cognition, TSHD

Jan Failenschmid, MSc., PhD Researcher, Methodology and Statistics, TSB

Irina Fehr, MA, PhD Researcher, Criminal Law, TLS

Rebecca Fenn, MA, PhD Researcher, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Dr. Floor Fleurke, Associate Professor, Public Law and Governance, TLS

William Fortin, LLM, PhD Researcher, Criminal Law, TLS

Aurin Fourashen, MA, Lecturer, Tilburg Center for the Learning Sciences, TSHD

Ties van Gemert, MA., Msc., PhD Researcher, Philosophy, TSHD

Sarah-Maria Geradin, MA, Academic Services

Prof. dr. R. Gerlach, Full Professor, Economics, TiSEM

Dr. Rawan Ghassawi, Assistant Professor, Human Resources Studies, TSB

Dr. Mariana Gkliati, Assistant Professor, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Prof. dr. Morag Goodwin, Full Professor, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Dr. Harm Goris, Assistant Professor, Texts in Contexts, TST

Dr. Martijn Goudbeek, Associate Professor, Communication & Cognition, TSHD

Maria Grigoropoulou, LLM, PhD Researcher/Lecturer, Private, Business, and Labor Law, TLS

Prof. dr. Martijn Groenleer, Full Professor, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Dr. Aviva de Groot, Postdoctoral Researcher, Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology, and Society, TLS

Prof. dr. Kees de Groot, Endowed Professor, Religion and Practice, TST

Dr. Katleen van der Gucht, Senior Researcher, Developmental Psychology, TSB

Dr. Ece Gülserliler, Assistant Professor, Information Systems and Operations Management, TiSEM

Drs. Donovan van der Haak, PhD Researcher, Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology, and Society, TLS

Dr. Mirela Habibovic, Associate Professor, Medical and Clinical Psychology, TSB

Dr. Julian Hanna, Associate Professor, Culture Studies, TSHD

Dr. Siba Harb, Assistant Professor, Philosophy, TSHD

Dr. Corina Heri, Assistant Professor, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Emmy Hermans, Msc. PhD Researcher, Communication and Cognition, TSHD

Tijn van Hoessel, MSc, PhD researcher and Lecturer, Methodology and Statistics, TSB

Dr. Heidi Hermans, Assistant Professor, Medical and Clinical Psychology, TSB

Natalia Hol Hernandez, LLM, PhD Researcher, Private, Business, and Labor Law, TLS

Prof. dr. Odile Heynders, Full Professor, Culture Studies, TSHD

Dr. Tom van Hout, Associate Professor, Culture Studies, TSHD

Dr. Kate Huber, Assistant Professor, Culture Studies, TSHD

Dr. Hanne Jacobs, Associate Professor, Philosophy, TSHD

Bram Janssens, MSc, PhD Researcher, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Dr. David Janssens, Lecturer, Philosophy, TSHD

Rani Jeans, MLitt, PhD Researcher, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Dr. Joran Jongeling, Assistant Professor, Methodology and Statistics, TSB

Dr. Thomas Joyce, Assistant Professor, Criminal Law, TLS

Emma Kakes, LLM, PhD Researcher, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Dr. Rodrigo Kaufmann, Assistant Professor, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Dr. Shirley Kempeneer, Assistant Professor, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Dr. Gil Keppens, Assistant Professor, Sociology, TSB

Drs. Jeroen Ketelaars, Academic Services

Dr. Stefan Kirsch, Research Support, TSB

Dr. Suzanne Klein Schaarsbeergen, Assistant Professor, Sociology, TSB

Reinier Kroese, LIS

Aster de Kruijf, Academic Services

Drs. Charlie Kuppens, PhD researcher, Philosophy, TSHD

Dr. Nina Kupper, Associate Professor, Medical and Clinical Psychology, TSB

Mieke Kusters, MA, Managing Coordinator, Culture Studies and Tilburg Center for the Learning Sciences, TSHD

Dr. Tjeerd van de Laar, Assistant Professor, Tilburg Center for the Learning Sciences, TSHD

Joris van Laarhoven, PhD Researcher, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Prof. dr. Anne Lafarre, Full Professor, Private, Business, and Labor Law, TLS

Prof. dr. Ronald Leenes, Full Professor, Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology, and Society, TLS

Prof. dr. Ingrid Leijten, Full Professor, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Prof. dr. Hans Lindahl, Emeritus Professor, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Dr. Caspar van Lissa, Associate Professor, Methodology and Statistics, TSB

Rein Lommerse, MSc, PhD Researcher, Econometrics and Operations Research, TiSEM

Dr. Hanna Lukkari, Assistant Professor, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Dr. Gijs van Maanen, Assistant Professor, Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology, and Society, TLS

Dr. Laura Mai, Postdoctoral Researcher, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Maithri, MA, Lecturer, University College, TSHD

Dr. Marloes Mak, Postdoctocal Researcher, Communications and Cognition, TSHD

Dr. Élodie Malanda, Assistant Professor, Culture Studies, TSHD

Dr. Ico Maly, Associate Professor, Culture Studies, TSHD

Dr. Christian Manger, Postdoctoral Researcher, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Dr. Petar Marčeta, Assistant Professor, Sociology, TSB

Nicolle Marchand, Management Assistant, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Dr. Kate Massarella, Lecturer, Liberal Arts and Sciences, TSHD

Marieke Meeskens, Msc, PhD Researcher, Zero Hunger Lab/Communication & Cognition, TSHD

Nine Methorst, Msc, PhD Researcher, Social Psychology, TSB

Dr. Gert Meyers, Assistant Professor, Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology, and Society, TLS

Hezha Mohammedkhan, Msc, PhD Researcher, Intelligent Systems, TSHD

Dr. Maria Mos, Associate Professor, Communication & Cognition, TSHD

Maria Moschou, Sports Center

Prof. dr. Joris Mulder, Full Professor, Methodology and Statistics, TSB

Anne Neijnens, Academic Services

Dr. Niels Niessen, Assistant Professor, Culture Studies, TSHD

Dr. Sanne Nijs, Assistant Professor, Human Resources Studies, TSB

Trinh Nguyen, MA, PhD Researcher, University College Tilburg, TSHD

Dr. Ivan Nyklicek, Associate Professor, Medical and Clinical Psychology, TSB

Merve Öner Kabadayi, LLM, PhD Researcher, Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology, and Society, TLS

Mr. Rukiye Öncü, Lecturer, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Dr. Roshnee Ossewaarde, Assistant Professor, Religion and Practice, TST

Minne Oujamaâ, MA, Education Support Team, TSHD

Anneke Overbosch, Research Support Team, TSB

Prof. dr. Phillip Paiement, Full Professor, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Dr. Sam Passeport, Instructional Designer, TSHD

Sanne Peereboom, MSc., PhD Researcher, Methodology and Statistics, TSB

Dr. David Peeters, Associate Professor, Communication and Cognition, TSHD

Mr. Drs. Michiel Peeters, University Chaplain

Dennis Peng, MSc, PhD Researcher, Methodology and Statistics, TSB

Dr. Marie Petersmann, Research Fellow, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Antonio Pinilla, MA, PhD Researcher, Religion and Practice, TST

Dr. Ilona Plug, Lecturer, Communications and Cognition, TSHD

Prof. dr. Rob Poell, Full Professor, Human Resource Studies, TSB

Nina van Ommeren, MA, PhD Researcher, Private, Business, and Labor Law, TLS

Prof. dr. Martine Prange, Full Professor, Philosophy, TSHD

Jinte de Regt, Msc, Academic Services

Prof. dr. Bert van Roermund, Emeritus Professor, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Maud van Roessel, MA, PhD Researcher, Communications and Cognition, TSHD

Mr. Sabrina de Roos, PhD Researcher, Private, Business, and Labour Law, TLS

Dr. Patrick Rooijackers, Lecturer, Tilburg Center for the Learning Sciences, TSHD

Maricar dela Rosa-van Haaren, International Office

Dr. Tina Sahakian, Assistant Professor, Human Resources Management, TSB

Dr. Pytrik Schafraad, Assistant Professor, Communications and Cognition, TSHD

Prof. dr. Bert van Schaick, Full Professor, Private, Business, and Labor Law, TLS

Franka Schellekens, Msc, PhD Researcher, Econometrics and Operations Research, TiSEM

Eef Schoolmeesters, MA, Lecturer, Philosophy, TSHD

Lilly Schurman, LLM, Policy Officer, TSHD

Prof. dr. Paul van Seters, Full Professor, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Dr. Saif Shahin, Assistant Professor, Culture Studies, TSHD

Anna Shekiladze, MA, Education Support Team, Liberal Arts and Sciences, TSHD

Senuri de Silve, PhD Researcher, Criminal Law, TLS

Dr. Take Sipma, Assistant Professor, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Prof. dr. Jenny Slatman, Full Professor, Culture Studies, TSHD

Dr. Sean Smith, Assistant Professor, Culture Studies, TSHD

Prof. dr. Han Somsen, Full Professor, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Dr. Seunghyun Song, Assistant Professor, Philosophy, TSHD

Lisa van Sorge, MA, PhD Researcher, Philosophy, TSHD

Dr. Camilla Spadavecchia, Assistant Professor, Culture Studies, TSHD

Prof. dr. Willem Marie Speelman OFS, Endowed Professor, Franciscan Study Center, TST

Dr. Massimiliano Spotti, Associate Professor, Culture Studies, TSHD

Drs. Geno Spoormans, Lecturer, Liberal Arts and Sciences/Culture Studies, TSHD

Dr. Lotte Spreeuwenberg, Lecturer, Philosophy, TSHD

Stephanie Staats, MSc, PhD Coordinator, TSB

Julia Starrenburg, MSc, PhD Researcher, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Prof. dr. Caroline Vander Stichele, Full Professor, Texts in Contexts, TST

Tim Stork, MSc, PhD Researcher/Lecturer, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Drs. Rory Sugrue, PhD Researcher, Criminal Law, TLS

Prof. dr. Linnet Taylor, Full Professor, Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology, and Society, TLS

Shinta The, MA, Academic Services

Dr. Nora Timmermans, Assistant Professor, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Dr. A.N. Tirapani, Assistant Professor, Organization Studies, TSB

Dr. Bert van de Ven, Assistant Professor, Philosophy, TSHD

Dr. Inge van de Ven, Associate Professor, Culture Studies, TSHD

Prof. dr. Juan Vera, Full Professor, Econometrics and Operations Research, TiSEM

Mr. Nina Verbeek, Lecturer, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Prof. dr. Paul Verbruggen, Full Professor, Private, Business and Labour Law, TLS

Dr. Sander Verhaegh, Associate Professor, Philosophy, TSHD

Dr. Marinus Verhagen, Lecturer, Human Resource Studies, TSB

Dr. Vereijken-van den Bosch, Assistant Professor, Private, Business and Labour Law, TLS

Suzanne Vermeer, MSc., Academic Services

Prof. dr. Marc Vermeulen, Full Professor, TIAS

Prof. dr. Jonathan Verschuuren, Full Professor, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Miguel Rodríguez Vidosa, PhD Researcher, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Cathy de Waele, MA, Policy Advisor / Education Coordinator, TSHD

Dr. Ruud Welten, Associate Professor, Philosophy, TSHD

Dr. Simone van de Wetering, Postdoctoral Researcher, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Mr. Dramanda Wicaksana, PhD Researcher, Public Law and Governance, TLS

Till Wicker, Msc., PhD Researcher, Economics, TiSEM

Shakya Wickramanayake, LLM, PhD Researcher, Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology and Society, TLS

Drs. Ank van de Wiel, Academic Services

Dr. Nathan Wildman, Associate Professor, Philosophy, TSHD

Prof. dr. Theo de Wit, Endowed Professor, Religion and Practice, TST

Prof. dr. Kutlay Yagmur, Full Professor, Culture Studies, TSHD

Nina IJdens, MA, PhD Researcher, Philosophy, TSHD

Dr. Charlotte Zegveld, Assistant Professor, Private, Business and Labour Law, TLS

Alexandra Ziaka, PhD researcher, Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology and Society, TLS

Dr. Claudia Zucca, Assistant Professor, Jheronimus Academy of Data Science

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