The University Responds to Open Letter Calling to Cut Ties with Israeli Universities

The University of St Andrews has responded to the open letter signed by both staff and students demanding the University sever ties with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJ) and all other Israeli universities over the genocide in Gaza. The open letter was organised by staff and students with support from the University and College Union (UCU) in October 2025. The University has now responded, stating they will not be cutting ties with any Israeli universities.

The response by the University was forwarded to staff and students’ emails who had signed the open letter on 9 February by UCU. In their response, the University highlighted the problems with academic boycotts: “Academic boycotts risk silencing precisely those voices and institutions that sustain debate, critique, and opposition. They also undermine academic freedom by imposing collective punishment on scholars and students on the basis of nationality or institutional affiliation rather than individual conduct.” The statement continued, “For these reasons, the University of St Andrews has consistently resisted calls for academic boycotts as a general principle, including in other global conflicts.”

However, the University has previously participated in an academic boycott, outlined in the open letter. It states that in February 2022, within a fortnight of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the University suspended its Joint Masters programme with Moscow State University, as well as divesting from Russian holdings.

The University’s response to this highlights that Israeli universities have not made public stances on the destruction of Gaza, whereas in 2022, the Russian Rectors Conference publicly supported the invasion of Ukraine, aligning Russian universities with the actions of the Russian government. Hence, according to the University, “The distinction is therefore not one of selective morality, but of materially different institutional behaviour.”

The open letter also expressed concern over the University’s involvement in the Global Universities for Societal Impact Network, as HUJ is also participating in this network. According to the open letter, Global Universities for Societal Impact is a collaborative research network on AI. The open letter discussed reports from Israeli journalists that claimed that an AI programme called ‘Lavender’ was used to prepare “kill lists,” operating with little human supervision.

The University’s response addresses these concerns, stating: “The University does not support, participate in, or condone the development of technologies for unlawful harm to civilians [...] Engagement in AI research is not synonymous with military application, and disengagement from Israeli universities would not meaningfully constrain the use of AI in warfare.” They added, “What it would do is remove opportunities for ethical challenge, critical scholarship, and the development of norms governing responsible use.”

The University also disagreed with the open letters' claim that HUJ is built on “occupied land” as well as HUJ being described as a “militarised campus.” The University recognised that several hundred of the 20,000 student body at HUJ are currently in active military duty. However, the University's response also states that “while it is understandable that some students may feel discomfort, the campus is not a military base.” 

The response concludes, “We remain open to dialogue with members of our community who hold differing views and are committed to ongoing reflection on how the University can contribute, through scholarship, education, and engagement, to peace, justice, and human dignity for all.”

The Saint reached out to UCU for comment, who then forwarded this statement from the group of staff and students who wrote the open letter: 

“We consider the response from senior management to be wholly inadequate. It fails to recognise the gravity of Israeli institutional complicity in war crimes, educide, and genocide. We will be taking further steps to advance our campaign in due course, and invite any interested student or staff to get involved.”

The St Andrews Palestine Solidarity Society told The Saint: “The University’s response does not deter our efforts to do our part in supporting the Palestinian cause. It simply means we will continue to do what we are already doing with more creativity and effort.”

They added, “The Hebrew University of Jerusalem oversees several archaeological digs in Israeli settlements on what was originally Palestinian land, such as Tel Hazor near Tiberius. The partnership with [the] University helps to continue these ongoing projects.”

The society spokesperson continued, “We understand that universities are not tools of government, and that HUJ does not publicly support the genocide, however, the University’s response is not, in our view, sufficient. Going forward, we expect the University of St Andrews to provide a clear outline of how they plan to use this partnership to the benefit of those who are impacted by the actions of the Israeli government.”

Photo by Alden Arnold