Endoresement of the communiqué issued by the Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities (CRUE)

The Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities (CRUE) expresses its deep concern and firm condemnation of the events that occurred on 6 January at Birzeit University, in the West Bank, in which a military action by the Israeli army took place on the campus of the university institution during lecturing hours.

University institutions represent fundamental areas for the development of knowledge, higher education, and the exercise of academic freedom. Any action that forcibly alters the normal functioning of these spaces poses a direct threat to the right to education and to the principles that underpin the university's mission at international level.

CRUE wishes to recall that the protection of educational spaces and those found within constitutes an obligation included within the framework of international law. It also underlines the need to guarantee the security, integrity and autonomy of universities, regardless of the contexts of conflict or political tension in which they may find themselves.

The Conference expresses its solidarity with Birzeit University, with the students, faculty and other staff members, and conveys its support to all those affected by these events, reiterating its commitment to the defense of higher education as a public good, to international academic cooperation, and to the values ​​of peace, respect for human rights, and coexistence that must govern university life.

Madrid, 14 January 2026