The Royal Academy of Art (KABK) in The Hague has decided to cancel its collaboration with the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem. It is the first educational institution in the Netherlands to terminate a cooperation with an Israeli institution.
The KABK will not continue its exchange program with Bezalel University. The last exchange took place in 2019.
"It is the consensus of our community that our policies and actions, along with those of our partners, must actively support and uphold universal humanitarian rights at all times," the board writes in a letter to the Student Union, a student association within the KABK.
The association held a general meeting regarding the academy's stance on the war in the Gaza Strip.
A large group of students wanted the academy to sever all ties with the Israeli art academy. Last December, an online petition was organized by the KABK student union requesting the severance of ties with Bezalel. The management rejected it at the time, but now seems to be complying.
"Remaining silent regarding possible human rights violations can be seen as an indirect form of support for those who violate their rights," writes the KABK management.
Main Image :Copyright Theo Krijgsman