Communiqué by the CRUE

The Governing Board of the Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities (CRUE), meeting on 9 May 2024, wishes to express its deep regret for the very serious events that are currently taking place in the Gaza Strip.

The Spanish universities have already expressed and reaffirmed on several occasions their permanent commitment to peace, coexistence and justice, and to the defense of international humanitarian law, which does not prevent them from being again deeply moved by the worsening of the conflict and the painful consequences it is having for the Palestinian population.

We make our own the feelings of our campuses and the demands that are spreading from them so that, from different instances, measures are adopted to put a stop to the escalation of violence that is occurring.

Consequently, we demand:

• The immediate and definitive cessation of military operations by the Israeli army, as well as any action of a terrorist nature, and the release of the persons kidnapped by Hamas.
• That the State of Israel respect international law and allow the entry into Gaza of all humanitarian aid that can be provided to cover the emergency of its civilian population and that the appropriate measures are articulated by international bodies to undertake as soon as possible the reconstruction and recovery of the Palestinian territory.

We commit ourselves to:

• Reviewing and, where appropriate, suspending collaboration agreements with Israeli universities and research centres that have not expressed a firm commitment to peace and compliance with international humanitarian law.

• Intensifying cooperation with the Palestinian scientific and higher education system and expanding our cooperation, volunteer and refugee programmes.

• Ensuring that in the exercise of free expression there is no conduct, equally reprehensible, of anti-Semitism or Islamophobia, as well as any other hateful behaviour within the university communities.

Madrid, 9 May 2024