NYT: The isolation of the occupying academics continues after the ceasefire in Gaza.

A newspaper reported that the boycott of the occupation's academics is ongoing, following the ceasefire in Gaza, after a wave of global pressure due to the genocide committed in the sector.

It noted that 23 of the occupation's academics received emails informing them of the possibility to participate in a virtual meeting of the European Archaeological Association, provided they conceal their professional identities.

A message from the association's board stated: "Any reference to affiliation with an Israeli institution or funding body must be avoided." This decision, which came as part of the association's suspension of its relations with the occupation due to the war in Gaza, shocked Guy D. Steibel, the head of the Israeli Archaeological Council and long-time director of an excavation mission at the ancient fortress of Masada.

The prominent lecturer at Tel Aviv University sent an angry message to the council, stating, "You have washed your hands and quieted your consciences, and you may now look in the mirror believing you have done something. But have you asked yourselves what real change your decision has brought about?"

Under pressure from the occupation, the council retracted its decision and described it as "hasty and a misjudgment" the day before the conference began, but its initial decision reflected the spread of boycotts against Israeli universities and academics, especially from European institutions, which have significantly increased during the ongoing genocide in Gaza over the past two years, and continued even after the fragile ceasefire reached last month.

No one expects the boycotts to end soon, according to the newspaper.

Emmanuel Nachshon, head of the Israeli task force against boycotts on the eight universities of the occupation, stated: "They may lessen in intensity, and their frequency may decrease, but they will continue in one form or another. The real goal is to delegitimize Israel."

In Europe, university officials say the boycotts are justified due to accusations of Israel committing genocide in Gaza, accusations made by a UN committee and several human rights organizations.

Raúl Ramos, vice president of the University of Barcelona, explained why his university announced a boycott of Israeli universities last year: "The technology coming from Israeli universities would be used to kill the Palestinian people." However, he added that the university would continue to cooperate with individual Israeli students and researchers.

The boycotts represent an example of the increasing international isolation of the occupation due to the genocide in Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of more than 67,000 Palestinians, most of whom are women and children.

Nachshon, a former diplomat for the occupation, stated that about 50 European universities and academic institutions have partially or completely ended their cooperation with Israeli universities during the war.

In a report to the Knesset in May, his team documented more than 700 cases of academic boycotts, including the termination of student exchange programs and the refusal to grant Israeli researchers funding for research.

Related news showed that the number has now exceeded a thousand cases, adding that the most prominent boycotters are in Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, and Spain.

Ghent University in Belgium, which is among the leaders of this trend, continued its boycott of all Israeli universities even after the ceasefire on October 10.

Meanwhile, the University of Amsterdam, which suspended its student exchange program with the Hebrew University in March, stated that the ceasefire is "a glimmer of hope," but announced on October 15 that it would not enter into any new cooperation with Israeli academic institutions.

Bob Monten, a spokesperson for the University of Amsterdam, said: "Independent international bodies have concluded that genocide is ongoing. There is a broad consensus in our community that inaction is unacceptable." However, he clarified that the university, like Barcelona, will maintain its relationships with individual Israeli students and researchers.

Israeli academics fear further actions beyond boycotts, including demands in some countries to exclude Israel from the "Horizon Europe" program, a massive European funding program that has provided billions of euros to the occupation over the past decade.