EU universities struggle to cut ties with Israeli defense-linked partners: Report

European universities are struggling to withdraw from research projects involving Israeli institutions and companies linked to the defense sector, despite public commitments to suspend the cooperation amid the genocidal war in the Gaza Strip, according to an investigation by Investigate Europe and Reporters United that was released Wednesday.

The investigation found that 34 universities in Spain, the Netherlands, Italy and Belgium are involved in 38 new Horizon Europe projects with Israeli entities linked to defense or technologies with potential military applications.

The projects have received €15 million ($17 million) in EU funding.

Across Horizon Europe, 386 European higher education institutions are involved in 205 projects with Israeli entities that have defense or defense-technology links, said the report.

Some universities have cited legal, financial and reputational risks as reasons for maintaining partnerships.

The University of Ghent, for example, estimated that unilateral withdrawal from Horizon Europe projects could cost tens of millions of euros.

The University of Granada is meanwhile fighting a legal battle about its decision to suspend cooperation with Israeli entities, while continuing to participate in another Horizon Europe project involving Mellanox, now owned by US technology company Nvidia, and European defense companies.

In the Netherlands, universities, including Groningen and Eindhoven, have also faced scrutiny for cooperation with Israel's Technion Institute of Technology, which has close ties to Israel's defense sector.

The European Commission said requests to terminate Israeli participation in Horizon projects are assessed on a case-by-case basis, stressing that all beneficiaries must comply with ethical principles and relevant national, EU and international law.