The University of Cagliari is severing relations with Israeli entities —researchers, agencies, and institutions— explicitly aligned with or directly connected to the military policies of the Tel Aviv government, responsible for the massacre of the Palestinian people.
This morning, the Academic Senate approved almost unanimously—only one member did not vote in favor—a document that takes a position on the invasion, which claimed tens of thousands of civilian victims, decided by Benjamin Netanyahu and his ministers following the carnage of October 7, 2023, organized by Hamas.
The text brought to the attention begins with " recognition of the values of peace, justice, freedom of peoples, and respect for human dignity." It then goes on to emphasize a "plausible risk of genocide": a formulation that has been challenged by student representatives, who openly speak of "genocide," considering that "plausible risk" excessive.
Then comes the commitments. The Academic Senate favors "humanitarian corridors reserved for Palestinian students," also in line with the regional measure establishing scholarships for young people fleeing the rubble. It also works to "avoid entering into collaboration agreements with Israeli academic institutions compromised by government actions."
It also pledges to "terminate all collaboration with individual Israeli researchers who explicitly and openly support the actions of the Israeli government" and to " terminate collaboration with existing research projects that are directly or indirectly attributable to so-called dual use," meaning those that impact both the military and civilian sectors. Furthermore, it intends to "terminate all collaboration with agencies and institutions directly or indirectly linked to military structures of the State of Israel."
The teaching staff is also invited to " evaluate participation in future calls for bilateral research projects related to dual use between Italy and Israel."
A political position, that of the University of Cagliari, which appears more nuanced than the rigid one proposed by the Physics Department, followed by others and by some student associations, which asked the Senate to "express itself against any present or future agreement of collaboration with Israeli academic institutions" and also invited "all professors not to participate in future calls for joint research projects within the framework of bilateral agreements between Italy and Israel".
Also on the Academic Senate agenda is a question signed by the Unicaralis association. It states that "the University of Cagliari recently joined the European PlatinuMS project, dedicated to patients with multiple sclerosis, as part of Horizon Europe and the Transforming HealthCare Systems partnership."
A noble initiative, but there's a problem: the project "involves collaboration with Tel Aviv University and the Israeli Ministry of Health, just as, on September 14, 2025, the UN presented a harsh report, once again confirming what we've been denouncing for months: a genocide is underway in Gaza. Israel has been held responsible for four of the five acts envisaged by the 1948 UN Convention; the Commission itself has spoken of direct responsibility on the part of Israeli leaders."
For this reason, the association, through its representative in the Senate, Matteo Pisu, requests clarification on the following points:
• what ethical criteria guided the decision to collaborate with Tel Aviv;
• whether this choice is truly compatible with the founding values of the University, based on equity, justice and international solidarity;
• and whether it is not appropriate to publicly express closeness to the Palestinian people.
"We demand the suspension of agreements with Tel Aviv and Israeli institutions, as they are complicit in the ongoing genocide," a statement read.
