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.
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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