Greece’s Education Ministry has reportedly urged universities across the country to expand academic and research cooperation with Israeli institutions, directing them towards an Israeli government funding programme worth around €2 million.
The programme supports joint research, conferences, workshops, scholarships and exchanges between Israeli and Greek academics and students.
The reported move comes two years after Palestinian solidarity encampments spread across European universities, with students demanding that their institutions cut ties with Israeli universities and companies they accused of contributing to Israel’s war in Gaza. In May 2024, encampments and occupations appeared at universities in Greece, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Italy, Denmark and elsewhere.
Greek students also established an encampment at the University of Athens, joining the wider European movement. Those protests specifically put academic cooperation with Israel under scrutiny. Yet, this new funding programme aims to support further joint research, conferences, workshops, scholarships and exchanges between Israeli and Greek academics and students.
The issue remains active in Greece. A September 2026 investigation found that 15 Greek universities continue to participate in EU research projects involving Israeli partners, including eight with Israeli government bodies or defence companies. Meanwhile, around 1,000 Greek researchers had previously signed a call for universities to end cooperation with Israeli institutions.
