The European Union may, for the first time, impose real sanctions against Israel. Belgium supports a partial suspension of cooperation under Horizon Europe. But for VUB and Rector Jan Danckaert, that doesn’t go far enough. They are calling for a full suspension.
Belgium will vote in favour of a partial suspension of Israel’s participation in Horizon Europe, the EU’s largest research and innovation programme. If approved, this would mark the first formal EU sanction against the Israeli government.
VUB Rector Jan Danckaert responded on Tuesday in the Radio 1 programme De Wereld Vandaag. As chair of the Flemish Interuniversity Council (VLIR), he described Belgium’s position as a step in the right direction, but still far too limited: “This concerns only a small part of the entire Horizon programme. We continue to call for an immediate and complete suspension.”
Listen to the clip from De Wereld Vandaag on Radio 1 (in Dutch, broadcast of 5 August 2025): VUB Rector on Belgian support for sanctions against Israel: “A step in the right direction” (© Radio 1)