Growing Calls to Cut Ties with Israel Reach CERN

As the genocide in Gaza continues, the movement to boycott the Israeli state is gaining traction across multiple sectors. Now, the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)—one of the world’s most prestigious scientific institutions—is facing mounting pressure to reassess its partnership with Israel.

On August 4, 2025, Tribune de Genève reported a surge in calls to re-evaluate CERN’s collaboration with Israel in light of the Gaza conflict. In Meyrin, Switzerland, activists drew media attention by removing the Israeli flag from CERN’s premises during a protest. The action coincided with a petition signed by more than a thousand scientists, urging the CERN Council to determine whether ongoing cooperation complies with the institution’s own ethical principles—notably its commitment to human rights and international law, as outlined in CERN’s Code of Conduct.

The petition draws on precedent: in 2022, CERN suspended collaboration with Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. Many see this as a model for how the organization should respond to Israel’s actions today.

Israel has been a full member of the CERN Council since 2014, one of 25 member states. Petitioners, backed by the Science4Peace Forum, are calling for a thorough review of the partnership to ensure that all shared scientific knowledge is used for civilian—not military—purposes.

The push to sever ties with Israel at CERN is part of a broader wave of global boycotts, divestments, and sanctions. Since the start of the genocide in Gaza, an increasing number of academic and professional bodies have cut institutional links with Israel. Recent examples include the European Association of Social Anthropology and the International Sociological Association.

As history shows, sustained grassroots pressure works. To end the genocide in Gaza, campaigners argue, European institutions must cut all ties—ideological, academic, political, and military—with the Israeli apartheid state.