Don’t kick Israel out of Horizon – German universities chief

The head of the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK) has pleaded with the European Union not to eject Israel from the Horizon Europe research and innovation programme, as the bloc weighs how to respond to the country’s starvation of Gaza, writes David Matthews for Science|Business.

Last month, the EU launched a review of its association agreement with Israel, which underpins association to Horizon Europe and mandates that Israel should respect human rights. The European External Action Service is expected to report its findings to member states on 23 June, and European Council President António Costa indicated last week that the review will find Israel falling short.

Israel’s attack on and starvation of Gaza has triggered a debate within European academia over the ethics of continued collaboration, with a number of universities cutting ties. The country’s participation in Horizon Europe, meanwhile, has tumbled. Walter Rosenthal, president of the HRK, entered that debate by arguing against ejecting Israel from Horizon Europe or boycotting Israeli science more generally.
Full report on the Science|Business site