Trinity College Dublin to divest from links with Israeli universities and firms

Belfast Telegraph

2 days ago

The board of the prestigious Dublin university, home to over 20,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students, made the decision to divest from Israeli links on Wednesday.
Pro-Palestinian activists have called on other Irish universities to follow suit.
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Last May, students formed an encampment at Trinity in protest against a 214,285 euro fine imposed on the students' union after a series of demonstrations about fees and rent, and the university's ties to Israel.
Following engagement with the protesters, the college dropped the fine and said it would complete a divestment from Israeli companies that have activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and appear on the UN blacklist.
The students dismantled the camp after Trinity said it would 'endeavour' to divest in other Israeli companies, noting that its supplier list contains just one Israeli company which remained in place until March this year for contractual reasons.
On Wednesday, Trinity's board received a report from a taskforce set up last October to examine academic and institutional links, including with Israel.
Although the report is to return to the board later this year for its final consideration, based on 'the strength of the evidence shared', the board accepted the report's recommendations in relation to links with Israel.
This included recommendations that the college enter into no Erasmus, collaborative research or supply agreements with Israeli universities, institutions or firms.
The college has two current Erasmus+ exchange agreements, on an inbound basis only since September 2023, with Israeli universities: the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, which ends in July 2025, and Bar Ilan University, which ends in July 2026.
The taskforce also found that the college is engaged in a number of EU-funded research consortia which include Israeli partners, and – although none of these were found to be breaching international humanitarian law or human rights – the taskforce said Trinity should not seek to participate in any new institutional research agreements involving Israeli participation.
It also said that Trinity should look to 'align itself' with like-minded universities and bodies in an effort to influence EU policy concerning Israel's participation in such collaborations.
The taskforce noted that Trinity had divested from Israeli companies on the UN blacklist and has no current supply contracts with Israeli companies.
But it recommended that the college should fully divest from all companies headquartered in Israel and that it should not enter into any future supply contracts with Israeli firms.
The taskforce accepted that the college's existing intellectual property-related contracts are acceptable as they are not collaborative, but said no new commercial relationships with Israeli entities should be set up.
Chairwoman of the Irish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) Zoe Lawlor said the decision by Trinity was a 'landmark step in academic rejection of apartheid Israel's regime'.
She called on more Irish universities to do the same and paid tribute to students, academics and staff who campaigned for this outcome.
'Trinity will now stand on the right side of history, as it did with South African apartheid in the past, but it is nevertheless disappointing that it took so long to get to this position,' she said.
'We echo the view of TCD Students' Union that it remains disappointing that Trinity has not withdrawn from ongoing projects involving Israeli partners who provide military technology and training that will run until 2029.
'Nonetheless, we celebrate each and every step towards de-normalising relations with the genocidal, apartheid state of Israel. We call on the Irish Government and the EU to pay heed to the changing climate, and to act to bring an end to all Irish state complicity with the apartheid regime.'
The taskforce, chaired by former president of the High Court Mary Irvine, met on 14 occasions and received 77 submissions in total.