According to the institution, the rector met with students who demanded a boycott of contacts, which led to the decision to revoke the agreement for student and researcher exchanges with Reichman institution.
According to sources, the University of Milan’s rector, Marina Brambilla, met with a group of Palestinian students who had been calling for a boycott of connections with Israeli universities, which led to the suspension of an agreement on a student and researcher exchange with Israel’s Reichman University.
The Italian news agency ANSA said Tuesday that the university’s administration has suspended the deal due to the deteriorating situation in the Middle East.
According to student groups, the change was a “victory,” achieved after intense pressure from both students and professors.
In response to student mobilizations earlier this year, the University of Milan halted and promised not to extend an agreement with Ariel University, another Israeli university.
In protest against Israel’s airstrikes on Gaza and its connections to Israeli educational institutions, the university students established an encampment on campus earlier this year, following the lead of numerous other students throughout the Western world.
Students who are against genocide
In response to Israel’s slaughter in besieged Gaza, Columbia University students staged a sit-in on campus in April, sparking protests at other US institutions.
Soon after, a large number of students in other nations, including Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and others, followed suit and demonstrated against Israel’s genocide at their respective colleges.
Cutting relations with Israel and stopping its assault against Palestinians are among the students’ top demands.
In its attack on the blockaded enclave, Israel has killed over 42,700 Palestinians, primarily women and children. Nearly all of the population has been forced to flee, and basic supplies like food, medication, water, and electricity are in limited supply.
The International Court of Justice is also considering a genocide complaint against Israel for its activities in Gaza.
