68 Italian academics and researchers from seven universities have signed a petition calling for a freeze on all academic agreements with the Technion Institute (Israel Institute of Technology) and all the Israeli universities.
Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth said on Friday that the move was taken because those universities help the Israeli army in the development of offensive weapons used to suppress the Palestinians.
The petition stated that: "We are academics, researchers and lawmakers in the Italian universities, we are deeply concerned by the continued cooperation with the Technion.
The Zionist universities participate in military research and in the development of weapons the Israeli army use against the Palestinian people; in addition, they provide assistance to the Israeli army and its colonization of the Palestinians."
It is also mentioned in the petition that: "Technion is more involved than other Israeli universities in the Israeli military industries system, as it does researches in a series of weapons' technologies that are used to suppress and abuse the Palestinians."
The petition also reads that: "This collaboration makes the Technion an accomplice in violation of international laws; therefore, cooperating with it is cooperating with the Israeli occupation authorities."
Hamas welcomes Italian academics’ petition for boycott of Israel
Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, welcomed the petition signed by 168 Italian academics calling for a boycott of Israeli universities for its role in developing Israeli army’s weapons for attacking the Palestinian people.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri opined, in a statement on Saturday, that this petition is an evidence for the case of isolation Israel lives in light of its crimes against the Palestinians.
Hamas Movement called for the continuation of such humanitarian and political stances that put pressure on Israel to halt those crimes and violations.
source : abna24