French Students, Peace Groups Bring Legal Challenge over University-Israel Partnerships

IQNA – Several French organizations have filed an administrative court complaint seeking to nullify cooperation agreements between French universities, two government ministries, and Israeli academic institutions, arguing the ties violate French legal principles.

In a statement published earlier this week, the groups said they are seeking “the disclosure, reassessment and termination of links between French and Israeli universities, due to the active participation of the latter in repeated and blatant violations of international law by the Israeli state.”

The French universities cited include Sciences Po Paris, Sorbonne University, Aix-Marseille University, the University of Strasbourg, Grenoble University and others.

France's Ministry of Higher Education and Research and the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs are also named in the complaint.

“Amid escalating violence worldwide, universities have an ethical duty to set an example and uphold strict respect for international law,” the statement said.

In 2025, the University of Lausanne and the University of Geneva ended their partnerships with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (al-Quds).

In a landmark opinion in July 2024, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem al-Quds.

The International Criminal Court has also issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Gaza war.

Source: Anadolu Agency