UTRECHT, Netherlands/ANN ARBOR, USA (Dispatches) – The Netherlands’ Utrecht University has become the first academic institution in the West to impose a full academic boycott of Israel, citing what it described as Israel’s “genocidal violence” in Gaza.  
The decision was confirmed by Rector Wilco Hazeleger, who said the university had “stopped or suspended all institutional collaborations with Israeli parties” and would not enter new agreements “until further notice.”
“The situation in the world, and in Gaza in particular, requires us to act with a moral compass,” Hazeleger said, citing “great human suffering” as a driving factor. He added that “a red line has been crossed.”
The boycott follows sustained protests by Utrecht students and staff, and aligns with the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI). PACBI welcomed the move as the result of “strategic, principled work” by the university community.
Utrecht’s decision comes amid growing international outrage over Israel’s year-long military atrocities in Gaza. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, over 63,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 160,000 injured since October 2023. Human rights groups have accused Israel of collective punishment and violations of international law.
While Utrecht took steps toward accountability, U.S. universities have come under fire for cracking down on students protesting against the Gaza war.
At the University of Michigan, multiple students face disciplinary action—including job termination, bans from re-enrollment, and surveillance by private investigators—after participating in campus protests. 
One student, Drin Shapiro, was jailed for handing out flyers and is now suing the university. Others, including Eaman Ali, say they’ve been barred from future employment and subjected to closed-door disciplinary hearings.
UM’s Office of Student Conflict Resolution has been accused of operating as a “kangaroo court,” with students and faculty alleging a 100% conviction rate against pro-Palestine protesters. “It’s like the Israeli military courts,” said Kathleen Brown, a PhD candidate who also faced university sanctions.
Civil liberties advocates have denounced what they describe as a coordinated campaign to silence dissent and punish opposition to Israel’s actions. Students say they are being targeted not for misconduct but for standing in solidarity with Gaza.