Trinity College cuts ties with Israeli organisations
The governing body of Trinity College Dublin has voted to cease future links with Israeli organisations with immediate effect.
It means that TCD will not sign up to future exchange or research agreements with Israeli institutions, will no longer use Israeli suppliers and divest from Israeli companies.
Current research partnerships and contracts will be honoured but not renewed.
It follows recommendations from a taskforce which was established as part of an agreement to end the student Gaza solidarity encampment on the university campus in May 2024.
It called for the university to divest fully from all Israeli companies, no longer use Israeli suppliers and refuse to enter any new education of research collaborations with Israeli organisations.
It also recommended it join with other universities to push for an end to EU research collaboration with Israel.
The taskforce was made up of 26 members including students, staff unions and senior leadership, and was chaired by Mary Irvine, former President of the High Court.
It met 14 times this year and the final report was given to the board.
The governing body voted to accept all the recommendations by the taskforce.
Academia for Palestine TCD welcomed the "historic decision" and described it "as an important step towards rejecting the normalisation of Israel's decades-long occupation, apartheid, ethnic cleansing and genocide against the people of Palestine".
TCD is engaged in a number of EU-funded research consortia which include Israeli partners.
The taskforce recommended that the university should not submit for approval or agree to participate in any new institutional research agreements involving Israeli participation.
The taskforce also recommended that the university enter into no further mobility agreements with Israeli universities or no new commercial relationships with Israeli entities.
The university has two current Erasmus+ exchange agreements with Israeli universities – one which will end this year, the other next year.
Participation in these programmes has been on an inbound basis since September 2023.
TCD has no current supply contracts with Israeli companies however, it will not enter into future supply contracts with Israeli firms.
The university has also already divested from Israeli companies on the UN blacklist but will fully divest from all companies headquartered in Israel.
In a note to staff, the Chairperson of the Board, Paul Farrell said that "based on the strength of the evidence shared, and in line with the principles and procedures developed by the taskforce, the Board has accepted the recommendations set out in the report regarding institutional links with the State of Israel, Israeli universities and companies headquartered in Israel".
These will be enacted for the duration of the ongoing violations of international and humanitarian law" and "will be kept under review by the Board," he said.
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