Fallout from Israel-Hamas war causing ‘significant harm’ to researchers in Israel, survey finds

Academic researchers in Israel say they are being “affected dramatically” by negative international reactions to Israel’s military actions against Hamas in Gaza, a recent survey finds. And many fear the professional fallout from the war will become much worse in the future. Since the war began with Hamas’s 7 October 2023 terrorist attack on Israel, it has claimed the lives of nearly 1500 people in Israel and nearly 30,000 people in Gaza, according to health authorities there. The Gaza Strip’s relatively small scientific enterprise has essentially ceased to exist, as attacks on Hamas forces by Israel’s military have destroyed university buildings and other infrastructure. In Israel’s far larger research community, many labs have emptied as scientists and students left for military or humanitarian service. Around the world, the Israeli government’s military maneuvers in Gaza have drawn extensive criticism, with some university faculty and students calling on colleagues to boycott work with Israeli institutions, faculty, and students. Supporters of Israel have argued its military response is necessary, and that boycotts often amount to thinly veiled antisemitism. To understand how the increasingly tense geopolitical climate is affecting academics at Israel’s universities, in late December 2023 two groups— the Israel Young Academy and Afiq in Academia: the Israeli Women University Professors’ Forum —asked about 6000 fa...
Source: Science of Aging Knowledge Environment - Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research