Tunisia's journalism students force university to cut ties with pro-Israel partner

Tunisian students have compelled a journalism institute to sever ties with a pro-Israel partner amidst rising pro-Palestine protests on campuses worldwide.

Last weekend, dozens of journalism students camped at Manouba's Institute of Press and Information Sciences (IPSI) to protest the establishment's partnership with the German Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS).

They named their camp after Sherine Abu Akleh — a journalist killed while on duty by the Israeli army in 2022 — vowing not to leave the university premises until all agreements with the 'pro-Zionist' KAS were revoked.

In October, the Stiftung office in Tel Aviv shared a message stating, "KAS stands with Israel. Germany stands with Israel," following the start of Israel's war on Gaza.

IPSI's administration supported their students' demands and officially cancelled the agreement with KAS on Thursday, 2 May.

"We, the staff and professors, share the same position. Since the beginning of this year, partnerships with organisations openly supporting Israel have been terminated," Hamida El Bour, director of IPSI, told a local radio station on Thursday.

Regarding the exams boycotted by students during the protests, El Bour promised to reschedule the exams, and new dates will be announced soon.

"This demonstration is legitimate because it supports the Palestinian cause," added the head of IPSI.

In recent weeks, hundreds of students have demonstrated in Tunisian universities in solidarity with the Palestinian people and against Israel's war on Gaza, responding to a call from the country's two main student unions, the General Union of Tunisian Students (UGET) and the Tunisian General Union of Students (UGTE).

From Africa to Australia, more universities around the world are protesting against the war in Gaza, following the lead of US students who have organised several rallies to pressure their institutions to sever ties with Israel.

In seven months of the war, Israel killed at least 34,596 people in the Gaza Strip.