Autonomous University of Barcelona's senate agrees to break relations with Israel

The senate of the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) has agreed to break relations with Israel, complying to the demands of students protesting on campus.  

The vote took place on Thursday and received 116 votes in favor of stopping all relations with Israel, six people voted against. 

The statement by the senate condemns the "genocide" being carried out by the Israeli army in Gaza and calls for a peaceful solution to the conflict.  

They urge the UAB board members to suspend all agreements of collaborations with Israeli universities, companies and research centers while continuing to host students who have become refugees due to consequences of the conflict. 

The senate also proposes a collaboration with a Palestinian university for the exchange of students, academic training, promotion of research or other cultural, social and economic ties. 

The UAB board had already suspended existing agreements with two universities in Israel, but the senate wants this suspension to be "more executive." 

Student reaction

Students who have been camping at the UAB to protest the university's ties with Israel say the decision by the senate is a positive first step but falls short because it does not mention breaking ties with companies linked to Israel. 

They recall that when Russia invaded Ukraine, the university broke ties with Russian entities immediately, making them believe "that there is no political will," behind the decision. 

"With Russia, their legs did not tremble, with Israel they did," the students told Catalan News Agency (ACN).