Universities not only bear the responsibility to provide education and conduct research; they also have a duty to uphold and defend the values that bind humanity together. In this spirit, we cannot remain silent in the face of the inhumane conditions and the deep humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Violence and dehumanisation — from any side — must be unequivocally condemned.
What has unfolded in Gaza in recent months violates every principle of human dignity: more than 60,000 civilian deaths, the obstruction of humanitarian assistance, and a worsening famine. According to the United Nations, two of the three criteria for declaring a famine in Gaza have already been met.
We therefore call on the Belgian government to act decisively and humanely, and we urge the immediate and unrestricted delivery of humanitarian aid. We welcome Belgium’s efforts to provide food supplies by air. However, this must not distract from the immense scale of the food and health crisis, which can only be alleviated through a full ceasefire and unconditional humanitarian access via land routes.
We call on the Belgian government to firmly condemn the dehumanising violence in the occupied Palestinian territories and, together with other nations, to prepare further actions.
We also urge the Belgian government to actively support and implement our earlier appeal for the immediate suspension of the EU–Israel Association Agreement. Article 2 of the Agreement is not a mere technicality; it is a cornerstone: respect for human rights and democratic values must underpin all cooperation with third countries. If this foundation is systematically undermined, consequences must follow. Otherwise, our European values risk becoming hollow words.
We stress that Belgian universities are not alone in this call to action. Even voices within Israel have declared the situation untenable. The presidents of Tel Aviv University, the Hebrew University, the Open University, the Weizmann Institute of Science and the Technion have all acknowledged the enormous harm being inflicted on children and infants, and have underlined the moral obligation of the Israeli government to respond to the crisis in Gaza.
The words of UN Secretary-General António Guterres are powerful: “This is a test of our shared humanity — a test in which we cannot afford to fail.” We call on the Belgian government, in particular the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, to do everything within their power to ensure that we pass this test.
Jan Danckaert (VUB), Annick Castiaux (UNamur), Philippe Dubois (UMons), Herwig Leirs (UAntwerpen), Anne-Sophie Nyssen (ULiège), Annemie Schaus (ULB), Françoise Smets (UCLouvain), Rik Van de Walle (UGent), Bernard Vanheusden (UHasselt), Severine Vermeire (KU Leuven) – Luc Sels (Honorary Rector, KU Leuven)
This statement is also supported by Luc Sels (Honorary Rector, KU Leuven).