09.10.25
Editorial Note
The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) is urged to bar Israel from scientific collaboration. Founded in 1954, CERN has a laboratory where physicists and engineers use the world’s largest and most complex scientific instruments to study the “basic constituents of matter – fundamental particles. Subatomic particles are made to collide together at close to the speed of light.” This process provides clues about how the particles interact and insights into the fundamental laws of nature.
Israel has been a full member of the CERN Council since 2014, as one of the 25-member states. Currently, over 100 Israeli scientists are actively involved in the field of particle accelerators.
According to media reports, including Le Monde, more than 1,000 scientists signed a petition calling on CERN to suspend cooperation with Israel.
One of the organizers of the petition is Dr. Giacomo Ortona, an Italian physicist from Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet in France. He stated, “We all are very clear that the Israeli academia is very tightly connected to the Israeli defense forces. And that they are carrying out a genocide in Gaza,” adding that the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) ruling of “plausible grounds” for genocide obliges CERN to act.
The petition was published on June 15, 2025, urging, “support the appeal by CERN scientists to reconsider relations with Israel.” The petition addresses the CERN council and the CERN directorate, stating, “The ongoing Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza does not justify the attacks on civilians in Israel on October 7th, 2023 nor does the October 7th attack justify the criminal campaign the government of Israel has waged against Gaza’s population for the past twenty months. As widely documented, since March 2nd, 2025, the government of Israel has blocked all aid, food, water, and fuel deliveries to the Gaza strip, imposing a total siege on an enclave of 2 million people. On the night of March 18th, 2025, the government of Israel resumed its military campaign in Gaza, killing over 400 people overnight, including at least 170 children, thus shattering a fragile truce between Israel and Hamas.”
The appeal accuses Israel alone: “With this act, the Israeli government made it clear it is not seeking for a peaceful solution of this conflict, nor does it care for the life of Palestinians and of the hostages still being held in Gaza.”
The signatories argue, “As scientists, we firmly believe that international collaboration, the sharing of knowledge and the free movement of ideas are great drivers of human progress and peace. Middle Eastern scientists have remained steadfast in upholding these principles despite decades of regional tensions and conflict. Among many examples, we note the establishment of the SESAME laboratory and the support by Israeli physicists for the participation of Palestinian scientists at CERN – a collaboration that culminated in Palestine’s cooperation agreement with CERN. As scientists, we cannot tolerate that the current state of war imposed by the Israeli government on Palestinians, alongside the unacceptable toll of lives and affront to human dignity, also compromises the continued peaceful collaboration of Israeli and Palestinian scientists between themselves, and with the rest of the community.”
The petition states that the CERN Code of Conduct mandates that all CERN Collaborators must “behave ethically, with intellectual honesty and being accountable for one’s own actions”. Therefore, “We believe that this extends to member states too and implies that membership in CERN requires adherence to international law, respect to the international institutions, and most of all respect for human rights.” Adding that Resolution CERN/3626 from March 8th, 2022, the CERN Council stated that “aggression of one country by another runs against the values for which the Organization stands”.
According to the petitioners, “the aggression is perpetrated by a State recognized as an unlawful occupying power by the International Court of Justice. We therefore urgently call on the CERN management and CERN Council to ensure compliance with the principles outlined above, particularly in view of the Convention mandate to ‘have no concern with work for military requirements.’ Such compliance must be actively monitored and guaranteed, thus safeguarding the peaceful collaboration among physicists.”
The petition demands, “Continued access to CERN by all scientists from the region committed to peace and to the peaceful resolution of the conflict should likewise be guaranteed. Specific support must be provided whenever possible to colleagues whose life and freedom are endangered by the conflict, and all necessary measures must be taken to ensure that none of the CERN collaborators becomes directly or indirectly complicit of the military and terroristic campaigns in the Middle East.”
The document included conclusions of a “Legal Opinion on CERN Duties Under International Law: Due Diligence Engagement,” stating, “CERN should formally request that all current and future partners located in Israel – including companies, academic and research institutions – demonstrate a clear commitment to refrain from entering into, maintaining, or supporting any form of collaboration with Israeli authorities, institutions, or companies that contribute – directly or indirectly – to the unlawful occupation of the Palestinian territory or to the commission of other serious violations of international law, including genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.”
The conclusions also discuss the “Suspension of Institutional Relations in Case of Non-Compliance,” stating, “Should any partner fail to provide such assurances or continue to engage in collaborations with entities involved in these serious violations, CERN should suspend all forms of institutional cooperation with that partner. This includes but is not limited to participation in joint research projects, funding schemes, academic exchanges, access to CERN infrastructure, and any other form of scientific collaboration. These measures are essential to fulfill CERN’s obligations under customary international law and to ensure that the Organization does not, even inadvertently, contribute to the maintenance of an internationally unlawful situation entailing grave breaches of peremptory norms, or to the perpetration of international crimes. Moreover, such actions would reinforce CERN’s identity as a global symbol of ethical scientific collaboration and its steadfast commitment to peace, justice, and human dignity.”
However, the claim that Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza has been propagated by a wide coalition of pro-Palestinian advocates and was uncritically adopted by the general media.
Two issues stand out in this respect. Hamas controls all the branches of government in the Gaza Strip, including the Ministry of Health. Hamas members took over the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and its services. Using this dominant position, the terror group managed to falsify metrics such as mortality rate among civilians, rates of malnutrition, etc. Indeed, the health authorities have refused to provide a breakdown between combatants and civilians, which suggests that the Hamas government inflated civilian deaths and noncombatants.
Second, the discussions about “genocide” in Gaza have failed to point out that Hamas has been heavily embedded among civilian populations, in public spaces, such as mosques, schools, and hospitals. As a result, the Gaza Strip has more hospitals per capita than Israel and Switzerland. As is well known, using civilians as human shields is illegal according to the Geneva Convention and humanitarian law.
The Islamist regime in Iran, which runs its own operation to delegitimize Israel, has often used South Africa to push spurious accusations in international legal forums, including the UN’s International Court of Justice (ICJ). Indeed, in 2024, South Africa submitted an application to the Court to consider a case of genocide against Israel. However, according to the then-President of the ICJ, Judge Joan Donoghue, the Court never ruled that Israel had committed genocide.
The petition is backed by the group Science4Peace Forum, run by Dr. Hannes Jung, a professor emeritus at the DESY Institute in Hamburg. Jung started the group at the beginning of the war in Ukraine to protect Russian scientists from being suspended from CERN because of the politics of their government. This shift reflects a stark double standard – the hallmark of antisemitism – while political affiliation with Russia was excused, association with Israel is treated as disqualifying.
REFERENCES:
Hundreds of scientists urge CERN to sever ties with Israel
Mounting academic boycotts and funding suspensions are fueling Israeli brain drain concerns
SEP 30, 2025
(Photo credit: Ciro Giso)
Israeli academic institutions are bracing for an unprecedented wave of boycotts, with nearly 1,000 scientists calling on the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) to suspend cooperation with Israel, Le Monde reported on 29 September.
The petition argues that Israel’s universities are tightly bound to the army carrying out genocide in Gaza, and urges CERN to follow its precedent of severing ties with Russia after the invasion of Ukraine.
Italian physicist Giacomo Ortona, one of the petition’s initiators, said, “We all are very clear that the Israeli academia is very tightly connected to the Israeli defense forces. And that they are carrying out a genocide in Gaza.” He added that the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) ruling of “plausible grounds” for genocide obliges CERN to act.
At present, more than 100 Israeli scientists are active in the particle accelerator field. Emmanuel Nahshon, a diplomat tasked with supporting universities abroad, warned lawmakers that losing CERN would cause “very severe” damage to Israeli research.
The boycott campaign has expanded rapidly across Europe. Over 30 universities in the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, and Spain have ended partnerships with Israeli institutions.
Invitations for Israeli researchers to seminars have been canceled, conference presentations postponed, and professional associations have debated expelling Israeli colleagues.
Previously, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Amsterdam, and institutions in Belgium, Spain, and Brazil all suspended cooperation with Israeli partners, while the European Association of Social Anthropologists (EASA) urged its members to follow suit, saying Israeli universities are complicit in apartheid and genocide.
Israeli historian Ilan Pappe rejected claims that many academics support Palestinians, noting that universities provide courses and degrees for security and police agencies that enforce occupation.
British-Palestinian surgeon Ghassan Abu Sitta added that personal boycotts are spreading across the UK despite official resistance, compounding Tel Aviv’s fears of a brain drain.
“This is a virus that spreads from one campus to the next, mainly in Europe but also worldwide,” said Daniel Chamovitz, president of Ben-Gurion University and head of the Conference of University Presidents.
A June report by the Samuel Neaman Institute at Technion noted growing refusals to publish Israeli research, rejections from conferences, and mounting difficulties in attracting foreign students.
While overall output has not yet collapsed, the study found a slowdown compared to other countries.
University leaders have also turned against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In July, the presidents of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa universities signed an open letter condemning insufficient food aid to Gaza, warning of “immense harm to innocent civilians.”
Economist Itai Ater said, “We are anti-government. We are doing whatever we can to stop the war and to make this government disappear.”
Israeli officials have already felt the pressure building as fears of a brain drain rise, attempting to counter it by offering scholarships of up to $200,000 per year to reattract Jewish academics from abroad.
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Knowledge workers — journalists, writers, booksellers, librarians, publishers, authors and illustrators, museum and theatre staff, actors and directors, musicians, dancers, university professors, educators and directors of cultural institutions — support the appeal by CERN scientists to reconsider relations with Israel.
The international community must affirm that freedom and security must be guaranteed to Israelis and Palestinians alike, and that this can only be achieved through an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, the unhindered flow of humanitarian aid and a just peace negotiated and agreed between both parties within the framework of UN resolutions.
Petition to the CERN council and Directorate
Petition to the CERN council and the CERN directorate
We believe two wrongs do not make one right. The ongoing Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza does not justify the attacks on civilians in Israel on October 7th, 2023 nor does the October 7th attack justify the criminal campaign the government of Israel has waged against Gaza’s population for the past twenty months.
As widely documented, since March 2nd, 2025, the government of Israel has blocked all aid, food, water, and fuel deliveries to the Gaza strip, imposing a total siege on an enclave of 2 million people.
On the night of March 18th, 2025, the government of Israel resumed its military campaign in Gaza, killing over 400 people overnight, including at least 170 children, thus shattering a fragile truce between Israel and Hamas. With this act, the Israeli government made it clear it is not seeking for a peaceful solution of this conflict, nor does it care for the life of Palestinians and of the hostages still being held in Gaza.
Josep Borrell, the former EU foreign policy chief stated on May 8th, 2025: “We all know what’s going on there, and we’ve all heard the objectives stated by Netanyahu’s ministers, which are clear declarations of genocidal intent. Seldom have I heard the leader of a state so clearly outline a plan that fits the legal definition of genocide.”
Such actions are indefensible under any human, moral, or even practical reasoning. As declared by Mirjana Spoljaric, Head of the International Red Cross Committee and guardian of the Geneva Convention: “No state, no party to a conflict […] can be exempt from the obligation not to commit war crimes, not to commit genocide, not to commit ethnic cleansing”.
The international community must affirm that freedom and security must be guaranteed to Israelis and Palestinians alike, and that this can only be achieved through an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, the unhindered flow of humanitarian aid and a just peace negotiated and agreed between both parties within the framework of UN resolutions.
As scientists, we firmly believe that international collaboration, the sharing of knowledge and the free movement of ideas are great drivers of human progress and peace. Middle Eastern scientists have remained steadfast in upholding these principles despite decades of regional tensions and conflict. Among many examples, we note the establishment of the SESAME laboratory and the support by Israeli physicists for the participation of Palestinian scientists at CERN – a collaboration that culminated in Palestine’s cooperation agreement with CERN.
As scientists, we cannot tolerate that the current state of war imposed by the Israeli government on Palestinians, alongside the unacceptable toll of lives and affront to human dignity, also compromises the continued peaceful collaboration of Israeli and Palestinian scientists between themselves, and with the rest of the community.
CERN Code of Conduct mandates that CERN Collaborators must “behave ethically, with intellectual honesty and being accountable for one’s own actions”. We believe that this extends to member states too and implies that membership in CERN requires adherence to international law, respect to the international institutions, and most of all respect for human rights. In Resolution CERN/3626 (dated March 8th, 2022) the CERN Council stated that “aggression of one country by another runs against the values for which the Organization stands”. This principle is even more urgent when the aggression is perpetrated by a State recognized as an unlawful occupying power by the International Court of Justice.
We therefore urgently call on the CERN management and CERN Council to ensure compliance with the principles outlined above, particularly in view of the Convention mandate to “have no concern with work for military requirements”. Such compliance must be actively monitored and guaranteed, thus safeguarding the peaceful collaboration among physicists. Continued access to CERN by all scientists from the region committed to peace and to the peaceful resolution of the conflict should likewise be guaranteed. Specific support must be provided whenever possible to colleagues whose life and freedom are endangered by the conflict, and all necessary measures must be taken to ensure that none of the CERN collaborators becomes directly or indirectly complicit of the military and terroristic campaigns in the Middle East.
Geneva, June 15th, 2025
Full list of signatories is available below
LEGAL OPINION ON CERN DUTIES UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW
Leading International Law experts shared with us a legal opinion on CERN duties under International Law. We report here the concusions. The whole opinion can be found here: https://cryptpad.fr/file/#/2/file/QPmzAo-qzbbrwaxLQF+ZXuG2/
Due Diligence Engagement CERN should formally request that all current and future partners located in Israel – including companies, academic and research institutions – demonstrate a clear commitment to refrain from entering into, maintaining, or supporting any form of collaboration with Israeli authorities, institutions, or companies that contribute – directly or indirectly – to the unlawful occupation of the Palestinian territory or to the commission of other serious violations of international law, including genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
Suspension of Institutional Relations in Case of Non-Compliance Should any partner fail to provide such assurances or continue to engage in collaborations with entities involved in these serious violations, CERN should suspend all forms of institutional cooperation with that partner. This includes but is not limited to participation in joint research projects, funding schemes, academic exchanges, access to CERN infrastructure, and any other form of scientific collaboration.
These measures are essential to fulfill CERN’s obligations under customary international law and to ensure that the Organization does not, even inadvertently, contribute to the maintenance of an internationally unlawful situation entailing grave breaches of peremptory norms, or to the perpetration of international crimes. Moreover, such actions would reinforce CERN’s identity as a global symbol of ethical scientific collaboration and its steadfast commitment to peace, justice, and human dignity.Report a policy violation
Gli operatori della Conoscenza a sostegno dell’appello degli scienziati del CERN
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The Issue
Gli operatori della conoscenza, giornalisti, scrittori, librai, bibliotecari, editori, autori e illustratori, personale museale e teatrale, attori e registi, musicisti, danzatori, professori universitari, docenti e direttori di istituzioni culturali, sostengono l’appello degli scienziati del Cern per rivedere i rapporti con Israele.
Gli operatori della conoscenza chiedono alla comunità internazionale di affermare che la libertà e la sicurezza devono essere garantite sia agli israeliani che ai palestinesi e che ciò può essere ottenuto solo attraverso un cessate il fuoco immediato e incondizionato, il flusso senza ostacoli di aiuti umanitari e una pace giusta negoziata e concordata tra entrambe le parti nel quadro delle risoluzioni delle Nazioni Unite.
Petizione al Consiglio e alla Direzione del CERN
Petizione al Consiglio del CERN e alla Direzione del CERN
Crediamo che due torti non facciano una ragione. L’occupazione israeliana in corso della Cisgiordania e di Gaza non giustifica gli attacchi ai civili in Israele del 7 ottobre 2023, né l’attacco del 7 ottobre giustifica la campagna criminale che il governo israeliano ha condotto contro la
popolazione di Gaza negli ultimi venti mesi.
Come ampiamente documentato, dal 2 marzo 2025, il governo israeliano ha bloccato ogni forma di aiuto, cibo, acqua e carburante alla Striscia di Gaza, imponendo un assedio totale a un’enclave di 2
milioni di persone.
La notte del 18 marzo 2025, il governo israeliano ha ripreso la sua campagna militare a Gaza, uccidendo oltre 400 persone in una sola notte, tra cui almeno 170 bambini, infrangendo così una
fragile tregua tra Israele e Hamas. Con questo atto, il governo israeliano ha reso evidente di non cercare una soluzione pacifica al conflitto, né di avere riguardo per la vita dei palestinesi e degli ostaggi ancora trattenuti a Gaza.
Josep Borrell, ex Alto rappresentante dell’UE per la politica estera, ha dichiarato l’8 maggio 2025:
“Sappiamo tutti cosa sta succedendo lì, e abbiamo tutti sentito gli obiettivi dichiarati dai
ministri di Netanyahu, che sono chiare dichiarazioni di intento genocida. Raramente ho sentito il leader di uno Stato delineare così chiaramente un piano che rientra nella definizione legale di genocidio.”
Tali azioni sono indifendibili sotto ogni punto di vista umano, morale o anche solo pratico. Come ha dichiarato Mirjana Spoljaric, Presidente del Comitato Internazionale della Croce Rossa e garante
della Convenzione di Ginevra:
“Nessuno Stato, nessuna parte in conflitto […] può essere esentata dall’obbligo di non commettere crimini di guerra, genocidi o pulizia etnica.”
La comunità internazionale deve affermare che libertà e sicurezza devono essere garantite sia agli israeliani che ai palestinesi, e che ciò può essere ottenuto solo attraverso un cessate il fuoco
immediato e incondizionato, il flusso libero degli aiuti umanitari e una pace giusta negoziata e concordata da entrambe le parti, nel quadro delle risoluzioni ONU.
In quanto scienziati, crediamo fermamente che la collaborazione internazionale, la condivisione delle conoscenze e il libero scambio di idee siano potenti motori del progresso umano e della pace.
Gli scienziati del Medio Oriente hanno mantenuto questi principi saldi nonostante decenni di tensioni e conflitti regionali. Tra i molti esempi, citiamo la creazione del laboratorio SESAME e il sostegno dei fisici israeliani alla partecipazione dei colleghi palestinesi al CERN – una
collaborazione culminata nell’accordo di cooperazione tra la Palestina e il CERN.
Come scienziati, non possiamo tollerare che l’attuale stato di guerra imposto dal governo israeliano ai palestinesi, con l’inaccettabile bilancio di vittime e l’oltraggio alla dignità umana, comprometta
anche la collaborazione pacifica tra scienziati israeliani e palestinesi e con il resto della comunità
cientifica.
Il Codice di Condotta del CERN prevede che i collaboratori del CERN debbano “comportarsi in modo etico, con onestà intellettuale e assumendosi la responsabilità delle proprie azioni”.
Crediamo che questo principio si estenda anche agli Stati membri e implichi che la partecipazione al CERN richieda l’adesione al diritto internazionale, il rispetto delle istituzioni internazionali e,
soprattutto, il rispetto dei diritti umani. Nella Risoluzione CERN/3626 (datata 8 marzo 2022) il Consiglio del CERN ha dichiarato che “l’aggressione di un Paese ai danni di un altro è contraria ai
valori per i quali l’Organizzazione è stata fondata”. Questo principio è ancor più urgente quando l’aggressione è perpetrata da uno Stato riconosciuto come potenza occupante illegale dalla Corte Internazionale di Giustizia.
Chiediamo quindi con urgenza alla Direzione del CERN e al Consiglio del CERN di garantire il rispetto dei principi sopra indicati, soprattutto in considerazione del mandato della Convenzione del
CERN che impone di “non avere alcuna relazione con attività a fini militari”. Tale rispetto deve essere monitorato e garantito attivamente, salvaguardando così la collaborazione pacifica tra i fisici.
Deve essere garantito anche l’accesso continuo al CERN da parte di tutti gli scienziati della regione impegnati per la pace e per la risoluzione pacifica del conflitto. Occorre offrire un sostegno concreto, ove possibile, ai colleghi la cui vita e libertà siano messe in pericolo dal conflitto, e vanno adottate tutte le misure necessarie per garantire che nessun collaboratore del CERN diventi,
direttamente o indirettamente, complice delle campagne militari o terroristiche in Medio Oriente.
Ginevra, 15 giugno 2025
Parere legale sui doveri del CERN secondo il diritto internazionale
Importanti esperti di diritto internazionale hanno condiviso con noi un parere legale sui doveri del
CERN secondo il diritto internazionale. Riportiamo qui le conclusioni. Il testo completo è
disponibile qui:
https://cryptpad.fr/file/#/2/file/QPmzAo-qzbbrwaxLQF+ZXuG2/
Diligenza dovuta
Il CERN dovrebbe richiedere formalmente che tutti i partner attuali e futuri situati in Israele –
incluse aziende, istituzioni accademiche e di ricerca – dimostrino un impegno chiaro a non entrare
in collaborazione con, mantenere o supportare in alcun modo autorità israeliane, istituzioni o
aziende che contribuiscano – direttamente o indirettamente – all’occupazione illegale del territorio
palestinese o alla commissione di altre gravi violazioni del diritto internazionale, incluso genocidio,
crimini di guerra e crimini contro l’umanità.
Sospensione dei rapporti istituzionali in caso di mancata conformità
Qualora un partner non fornisca tali garanzie o continui a collaborare con entità coinvolte in gravi
violazioni, il CERN dovrebbe sospendere ogni forma di cooperazione istituzionale con quel
partner. Questo include, ma non si limita a: partecipazione a progetti di ricerca congiunti,
programmi di finanziamento, scambi accademici, accesso alle infrastrutture del CERN e qualsiasi
altra forma di collaborazione scientifica.
Queste misure sono essenziali per adempiere agli obblighi del CERN secondo il diritto
internazionale consuetudinario e per assicurare che l’Organizzazione non contribuisca, neppure
in modo involontario, al mantenimento di una situazione illegale a livello internazionale che
implichi gravi violazioni di norme imperative, o alla perpetrazione di crimini internazionali. Inoltre,
tali azioni rafforzerebbero l’identità del CERN come simbolo globale di collaborazione scientifica
etica e del suo impegno fermo per la pace, la giustizia e la dignità umana.
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ENGLISH
August 12, 2025GROWING CALLS TO CUT TIES WITH ISRAEL REACH CERN
As the genocide in Gaza continues, the movement to boycott the Israeli state is gaining traction across multiple sectors. Now, the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)—one of the world’s most prestigious scientific institutions—is facing mounting pressure to reassess its partnership with Israel.
On August 4, 2025, Tribune de Genève reported a surge in calls to re-evaluate CERN’s collaboration with Israel in light of the Gaza conflict. In Meyrin, Switzerland, activists drew media attention by removing the Israeli flag from CERN’s premises during a protest. The action coincided with a petition signed by more than a thousand scientists, urging the CERN Council to determine whether ongoing cooperation complies with the institution’s own ethical principles—notably its commitment to human rights and international law, as outlined in CERN’s Code of Conduct.
The petition draws on precedent: in 2022, CERN suspended collaboration with Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. Many see this as a model for how the organization should respond to Israel’s actions today.
Israel has been a full member of the CERN Council since 2014, one of 25 member states. Petitioners, backed by the Science4Peace Forum, are calling for a thorough review of the partnership to ensure that all shared scientific knowledge is used for civilian—not military—purposes.
The push to sever ties with Israel at CERN is part of a broader wave of global boycotts, divestments, and sanctions. Since the start of the genocide in Gaza, an increasing number of academic and professional bodies have cut institutional links with Israel. Recent examples include the European Association of Social Anthropology and the International Sociological Association.
As history shows, sustained grassroots pressure works. To end the genocide in Gaza, campaigners argue, European institutions must cut all ties—ideological, academic, political, and military—with the Israeli apartheid state.
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Massacres in GazaPressure mounts on CERN and its cooperation with Israel
A petition signed by a thousand scientists, NGOs mobilizing, a symbolic action in front of the institution: the CERN Council is summoned to examine its cooperation agreements.
Published: 04.08.2025,
Research at CERN is intended to serve civilian purposes. Cooperation with Israel, as with Russia in 2022, is now being questioned.CERN
In short :
- Activists removed the Israeli flag from the entrance to CERN in Meyrin.
- More than 1,000 scientists are petitioning to reassess cooperation with Israel.
- The organization had already suspended its agreements with Russia in 2022.
The action is symbolic, but it reflects a growing mobilization regarding the cooperation of the European Organization for Nuclear Research ( CERN ) with Israel, in the context of the massacres committed in Gaza: Friday, August 1 , a small group of activists filmed themselves in front of the entrance to the institution, in Meyrin, taking down the Israeli flag from its mast, then throwing it in a trash can.
“Our action was peaceful, we acted openly, because as Genevans, we believe that CERN represents important values for our city. It must stop all collaboration with Israel,” one of the activists told us by phone. “The security service became nervous, and CERN filed a complaint against us,” she said.
Removing the Israeli flag from CERN: On Friday, August 1, the Israeli flag was removed and thrown into the trash on the CERN esplanade by activists.
Petition from scientists
The incident in Meyrin, although isolated, reflects growing pressure on the institution. As revealed last Wednesday by “Le Courrier” , a petition signed by more than a thousand scientists working on the site or in partnership with CERN is currently circulating. It calls on the CERN Council, the supreme authority made up of its member states, to re-evaluate cooperation with Israel and its compliance with the institution’s values in light of the numerous abuses committed by that state in Gaza.
“According to the CERN Code of Conduct, employees must behave ethically, demonstrate intellectual honesty, and be accountable for their actions. We believe this also applies to Member States and implies that membership in CERN requires respect for international law, international institutions, and, above all, respect for human rights,” the scientists write in the text.
The Russian precedent at CERN
Since 2014, Israel has been one of the 25 member states of the CERN Council, and is therefore part of its governance. The scientists who signed the petition do not challenge this status. But in fact, they question it, noting that in March 2022, the Council ruled that “aggression against one country by another runs counter to the values defended by the organization,” which led it to suspend its cooperation agreements with Russia, which had observer status.
This suspension formally took shape in November 2024, although it maintained a highly contested link with the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research near Moscow.
Just as it was led to do with Russia, will the CERN Council, so far silent on the situation in the Middle East, be pushed to examine its relations with Israel?
When contacted, the communications department responded formally: “The CERN Council generally meets four times a year. The Council’s agenda is prepared by the President of the Council and adopted by the Council itself. During this adoption, Member States may also request amendments.” It also points out that “CERN is, at its very foundation, an institution of peace that unites nations across borders.”
Contacted, a Palestinian scientist who collaborates with CERN wonders whether the Council would have the courage to take up this issue, but says he is convinced that it would be important. “Israeli scientists should start by denouncing this war,” he says. He also has no doubt that CERN must cut off cooperation with Israel, given that “this state is using scientific knowledge to wage its war in Gaza.”
“CERN must review cooperation agreements”
Other voices are joining this petition, including that of the Science4Peace Forum . This association, created in the context of the war in Ukraine to defend fundamental research that remains separate from armed conflicts, is also putting forward demands .
“We are calling in particular for an investigation into the cooperation agreements with Israel so that CERN can ensure that they are not used for military activities, in accordance with its conventions and values,” explains Hannes Jung, a member of this organization. “If institutes were to be directly involved in war, crimes against humanity, and violations of international law, this cooperation could not continue.” A position also defended by the petitioners.
Science4Peace Forum clarifies that “it is not a question of demanding the exclusion of Israel from the CERN Council; civil cooperation must be maintained, because fundamental research must bring peace.”
In the Middle East, the International Synchrotron-Light Centre for Experimental and Applied Sciences ( SESAME ) has long carried this message. This programme , based in Jordan and supported by UNESCO, brings together in its governance Iran, Israel, Palestine, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Turkey and Cyprus. Will it withstand geopolitics and suffering?
This article was supplemented on August 5 with the testimony of a Palestinian scientist.
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Science4Peace Forum
Open letter to EU governments:Academics can’t stop a genocide – governments can
Thursday, 2. October 2025
Open letter from
Science4Peace Forum (partner of ICAN)
to EU governments
Academics can’t stop a genocide – governments can
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Monday, 4. August 2025
We have been silent for too long! We can no longer close our eyes on what is happening in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The government and…
Stop the war against Gaza, Westbank and Iran
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Science4Peace
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The red line has been crossed – this horror must stop NOW !
We have been silent for too long! We can no longer close our eyes on what is happening in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The government and the army of Israel are waging a horrific war against the population of Gaza, bombing hospitals, killing people waiting for food delivery, using starvation as weapons and now attacking staff residence and main warehouse of the WHO in Gaza.
The population in West Bank and East Jerusalem is facing brutal attacks from right-wing settlers, and Israeli Defense Force (IDF) is not protecting and even sometime participating in the attacks.
The government of Israel is permanently violating international laws, there is an arrest warrant against
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant issued by the
International Criminal Court (ICC) – all states who signed the Rome Statue are obliged to execute such warrants, including countries like Germany and Italy. Orders from the International Court of Justice from Jan 2024 and May 2024 must be respected. We see it as a positive move, that 30 European and international partners have launched an urgent demand to end this war, while it is a shame, that countries like Germany are not among the signees.
The red line has been crossed – immediate actions are required.
The Science4Peace Forum was founded to promote international scientific civilian and non-military exchange across all borders. We have protested strongly against exclusion of Russian and
Belorussian scientists from international cooperations as a reaction to the war against Ukraine, which we strongly condemn. We insisted the cooperation in non-military, civilian areas must continue, in respect to international rules. However, if institutes are directly involved in the war, crimes against humanity and the violation of international law, the cooperation cannot continue as is.
• We urge to immediately stop the war against Gaza and West Bank, immediately lift the blockade of food delivery to Gaza and supply the population with all the necessary food and humanitarian aid by UN. We insist to stop all weapon deliveries to Israel.
• We insist that governments fulfill their obligations respecting international laws and that these laws are applied in all cooperations.
• We insist on a long-term solution and a recognition of a Palestinian state.
• We request that agreements with Israeli academic institutions and companies be subject to investigation regarding their direct involvement in the war against Gaza, Iran, Lebanon, Syria and call to halt cooperation with institutions, programs and individuals who are directly involved in the wars. Scientific cooperation can only continue on the base of respect of international law and in a non-military field – civil clauses must be applied to avoid any complicity in crimes against humanity or against the Geneva Conventions.
• We leverage our international contacts, including those with our Israeli colleagues, to build a unified and international protest action against the war on Gaza and the continuing assaults on
and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian communities. We fully support protests[1] from inside the Israeli academia against the inhuman and criminal, nationalistic behavior of the Israeli government and Israeli army.
• We, as Science4Peace Forum, call to support students and scientists from Palestine with special fellowship programs (short and longer-term support) in order to guarantee their and the Palestinian society’s future prospects.
Initiated by the Science4Peace Forum and endorsed by:
1. Academic Solidarity with Palestine
2. Jung, Hannes, Emeritus researcher, DESY
3. Brentjes, Sonja, Professor, retired
4. Käfer, Daniela, Scientist Systems Engineer, DESY
5. Bargheer, Till, Research Staff, DESY Hamburg
6. Scrinzi, Donato, short-term researcher, research and innovation center at Fondazione Edmund Mach (Italy)
7. Ferrari, Roberto, Director of Research, INFN Pavia
8. Bassalat Ahmed, An-Najah National University
9. Mößner, Nicola, visiting professor, Leibniz University of Hannover
10. Ciulli Vitaliano, Full Professor, University of Florence, Italy
11. Schmidt, Malte Maximilian, PhD Student, University of Hamburg
12. Ortona, Giacomo, Primo Ricercatore, INFN
13. Mirizzi, Alessandro, Full Professor, Bari University
14. Johnson, Chuck, Director, IPPNW-Geneva Liaison Office
15. Serge, Franchoo, Researcher CNRS
16. Muhl, Florian, Universität Hamburg
17. Forti Francesco, Professor, University of Pisa
18. Sabio Vera, Agustín, Researcher, Madrd
19. Prager, Stewart, Professor, Emeritus, Princeton University
20. Santoro, Alberto, Retired Full Professor, CERN,UERJ
21. Ali, Ahmed, Staff Scientist (retired), DESY, Hamburg
22. Langmann, Bärbel, Wissenschaftlerin, Institut für Geophysik, Universität Hamburg
23. Ehrlichmann, Heiko, Scientist, DESY
24. Rostovtsev, Andrei, Researcher, Montenegro
25. Cooper-Sarkar, Amanda, Scientist, Oxford University
26. Sandel, Jan, Pharmacokineticist and Veterinarian, Biberach
27. Dittmar, Michael, Researcher, Geneva
28. Kraml, Sabine, Researcher, CNRS, France
29. Pérez-Gamboa, Cesar, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero
30. Brand, Holger, GSI Darmstadt
31. Schücker, Thomas, Professor of physics, Aix-Marseille University
32. Daum, Antje, Librarian DESY
33. Mohammed, Hemida, Teaching Assistant, Faculty of Science Fayoum University, Egypt
34. Engels, Dieter, Astrophysicist, Hamburg
35. Kostka, Peter, Researcher, Berlin
36. Van Reyk, David, Senior Lecturer, School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney
37. Andringa, Sofia, Researcher, LIP
38. Nazila Mahmoudi, Professor, IP2I
[1] See for example: Harel, D. (2025). Addressing the Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza and Securing the Release of Hostages – A National Moral Imperative, Black Flag action group, Legal Scholars Demanding Humanitarian Aid and an end to the war,
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BDS MovementSelect your language
PALESTINIAN SCHOLARLY ORGANIZATIONS URGE CERN TO MOVE PHYSICS SCHOOL FROM APARTHEID ISRAEL
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- Published9-04-2022
- Author infoPalestinian Federation of Unions of University Professors and Employees and Palestine Academy for Science and Technology
- TagsIn the NewsAcademic Boycott
Earlier this year, the Palestinian Academy for Science and Technology (PalAST) and the Palestinian Federation of Unions of University Professors and Employees (PFUUPE) sent the following letter to the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR). The Palestinian scholarly organizations urged them to relocate the European School of High-Energy Physics, now planned for November 30 – December 13, 2022, away from apartheid Israel due to Israel’s well-documented decades-long denial of Palestinian rights, including the right to education.
The reply that the Palestinian organizations received failed to address their concerns at all. It instead touted a belief in “science as a common goal” to bring people together and the school’s mission of “fostering dialogue” and being “as inclusive as possible,” alluding to the frequently used justification for inaction that science is above politics.
Since sending that reply, CERN has suspended Russia’s observer status and all collaborations over its illegal invasion of Ukraine, stating that “the aggression of one country by another runs against the values for which the Organization stands.” CERN has shown that it is prepared to take accountability measures in the case of international law violations, however, in a hypocritical, selective manner. CERN must end its hypocrisy and hold Israel accountable to the same standards. Relocating its High Energy Physics School would be a modest first step in this direction.
Background
Scientists in Palestine pursue their scholarly work amidst nontrivial contextual challenges and hardship, most of which derive from Israel’s prolonged, sustained military occupation of their homeland: closures, travel and inward and outward mobility restrictions, incursions, as well as a range of disruptive measures that create a climate of precarious uncertainty and vulnerability.
Over time, Israel’s measures have taken their toll on Palestinian higher education and scientific research. It has deprived our universities and university communities from their defining features of being beacons of multicultural diversity and universality. In the 18 Palestinian universities, which count a student body of over a quarter of a million, you can hardly find any foreign students or faculty members due to Israeli restrictions. This has been quite impoverishing in more ways than one. A multicultural environment is an a priori enriching, engaging, and challenging environment that allows students to widen their perspectives and appreciate alternative ways of being and living. Being deprived of such an experience means students are missing out on a very precious part of academic immersion.
Israel’s impediments have led a huge number of Palestinian academics and technologists to reside and pursue their careers abroad, resulting in a significant brain drain.
This has made it even more imperative for us to vigorously pursue international scientific outreach and collaboration. To do so, we have worked hard to organize and consolidate science in Palestine through the formation of disciplinary and multidisciplinary scientific societies and clusters that will have the critical mass to undertake effective scientific activities and reach out to counterparts around the world: societies in mathematics, physics, biology, chemistry, Agriculture and Environment, ICT, … and more have been established.
Despite the challenges of Israel’s military occupation, we have also pursued the establishment of science bridges between Palestine and other countries: Germany, Canada, Czechia, France, and Russia. These bridges have created opportunities for student and faculty mobility, exchange, collaborative research, and more.
We have been reaching out to Palestinian scientists forced to pursue their careers abroad, hoping to effectively engage them in our efforts to advance learning and research in their homeland through summer and winter schools, short visits, scientific consulting work, and more.
Our Message
We are writing from the Palestinian Academy for Science and Technology and the Palestinian Federation of Unions of University Professors and Employees (PFUUPE) as fellow scientists and scholars to urge the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) to relocate the European School of High-Energy Physics, planned for May 18-31, 2022[Update: The HEP School is now scheduled for November 30 – December 13, 2022], away from apartheid Israel.
We do not use the term apartheid lightly. Palestinian scholars have for decades documented how Israel’s regime of racial domination and systematic oppression of Palestinians constitutes a regime of apartheid as defined under international law. Earlier this year, the notable international organization Human Rights Watch and Israel’s most prominent human rights organization , B’Tselem , both issued detailed reports concluding that Israel is guilty of the crime of apartheid.
Most recently, in February 2022, the Israeli government published a new ‘Procedure for entry and residence of foreigners in the Judea and Samaria area’, Israel’s term for the occupied Palestinian West Bank. This latest Israeli regulation gives Israel the absolute right to select which international academics and students may be present at Palestinian universities, as well as to set arbitrary criteria on which fields of study are permissible and what qualifications are acceptable. Israel’s sweeping draconian measures attack Palestinians’ right to education and academic freedom and the autonomy of Palestinian universities. Birzeit University’s statement calls on all academics and academic organizations to join in their struggle against this proposed procedure and for their sovereign right to be an autonomous university.
As Palestinian scholars and scientists, we are often confronted with calls not to mix politics and science. However, there is no separating the two for us as we live, teach and carry out research under Israeli apartheid and colonial rule. We trust that you will recognize that holding the CERN and JINR European School of High-Energy Physics in apartheid Israel and partnering with complicit Israeli institutions despite Israel’s ongoing oppression of millions of Palestinians are profoundly political choices. They directly harm us, our academic work, and our people’s struggle for freedom and self-determination.
We call on CERN and JINR to relocate the HEP school from apartheid Israel and refrain from organizing future events there until Israel ends its decades-long denial of fundamental Palestinian human rights and its blatant disregard for international law.
We urge students who have been accepted to renounce their participation unless CERN and JINR relocate the HEP school, thereby complying with their respective mission and charter to “push the frontiers of science and technology, for the benefit of all” and to use research “for peaceful purposes for the benefit of the whole mankind.”
Our Recommendation
Fellow scientists, it is our sincere hope that your deliberations will lead to innovative ways to carve a science bridge between Palestine and fellow scientists all over the world. Building a science bridge when other bridges are undermined may be the right answer. Such a bridge will be a visionary long-term investment in young talent and hope when hope becomes scarce.
Kind regards,
Signatories:
- The Palestinian Federation of Unions of University Professors and Employees (PFUUPE), representing more than 6,000 Palestinian university staff at 13 institutions of higher education in the occupied Palestinian territory.
- Palestine Academy for Science and Technology (PALAST), a national institution that functions as an umbrella for a number of projects and innovations aiming at the advancement of science, technology and innovation in Palestine, including:
- Palestinian Mathematical Society
- Palestinian Physics Society (PPS)
- Palestinian Chemical Society
- Palestinian Biological Society
- Palestinian Plant Production and Protection Society
- Palestinian Communications and Informatics Society
- OWSD- Palestine National Chapter
- Palestine Young Academy (PYA)
israel-academia-monitor.com 
Collaboration with CERN in the Middle East? With Iran, for example? Shortsighted submission to Moslem pressure will only harm your organization.
Professor Emeritus Isaac Benabu,
Louis Lipsky Chair in Drama,
Department of Theatre Studies,
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem,
Mt. Scopus, Jerusalem, 91905
Israel
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