Trinity’s faculty of Health Science has advertised research fellowships with the Canadian Institute of Advanced Research (CIFAR) Azrieli Global Scholars Programme. The email included two opportunities, both of which take place in Israeli academic institutions: Azrieli International Visiting PhD Fellowship and the Azrieli International Postdoctoral Fellowship.
In an open letter posted to the Instagram’s of Academia for Palestine Trinity and Academics for Palestine Ireland, they state that researchers in the Faculty of Health Sciences had received an email promoting “prestigious fellowship opportunities” from the Azrieli Foundation. The letter, sent on March 11th, states, “the email seems to have been sent directly from a representative of the Foundation, Dafna Sofrin-Frumer, to the Faculty Dean, and forwarded to all staff in the Faculty with no considerations for the harm that promoting Israeli-linked funding schemes is likely to have on recipients”.
During Trinity College Dublin Students Union Comhairle on March 11th, a motion to condemn the Azrieli Foundation was passed unanimously. This motion came from Business School Convenor Patrick Keegan, who stated the foundation has been accused of operating in the West Bank Settlement and also has been linked to IDF funding, as well as advertising fellowships for students to conduct research in Israel.
Director of Communications of the Azrieli Foundation emailed The University Times, writing that an article published to UT’s website covering the Comhairle motion “reiterates false allegations about the Azrieli Foundation relating to our ongoing fellowship collaboration with Trinity College Dublin”. Also written in the email was the statement “to be clear, the Azrieli Foundation does not operate in the West Bank, nor does the Foundation have funding ties to the IDF. As a non-profit, we are strictly apolitical and remain steadfast in our commitment to a peaceful coexistence.”
According to the Canadian NGO Just Peace Activists, the Azrieli Foundation has funded the Jerusalem Foundation and the Jewish National Fund, whose charitable status was removed by the Canada Revenue Agency following a public campaign exposing the foundation’s ties to the Israeli military and illegal settlements. They also reported that the foundation has donated to the Zionist organisation Im Tirtzu.
The Azrieli Institute of Israel Studies at Concordia University was also founded by the Azrieli Foundation, which was described by far-right Zionist Gerald Steinberg as an intentional “counterattack” against BDS advocacy on campus. According to their website, the foundation has two important international relationships, one with the Rothberg International School of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the second with the Ben-Gurion Research Institute for the Study of Israel and Zionism.
The Azrieli Group has past and present investments in companies that do business on illegal West Bank settlements.
The Guardian referred to the Azrieli Foundation as the “the charitable arm of the Azrieli Group, Israel’s largest publicly traded real estate company which has holdings in Bank Leumi. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has listed Bank Leumi as operating in Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories”.
The Azrieli Group is Israel’s leading real estate company, according to their website. The website writes “income-producing properties extend over 1.4 million sqm [square metre], yielding an NOI of over NIS 1.6 billion per year. with an additional 1 million sqm under development” and that “the Azrieli Group has shaped the way Israelis work, buy, and live for over four decades” . These properties are held in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem as well as owning 4% of shares in Bank Leumi. According to the Artists Against Artwashing (AAA), who have protested against the Azrieli Foundation, several European pension funds have recently divested from the bank, “citing its violations of international law in financing settlements, extracting natural resources and building infrastructure in occupied territory”.
Additionally, following the events of October 7th, Azrieli announced via their website that they would be sending $10 million to Israel, stating the foundation “stands united with Israel as it defends itself”.
The foundation was recently protested this past November at the annual gala fundraiser for the Toronto Arts Festival (TAF). AAA wrote in an open letter at the time that “Past and present Board members of the Azrieli network also represent ties to illegal weaponry research, military intelligence, and efforts to ‘rebrand’ the image of Israel and censor Palestinian voices by donating $25k annually to Honest Reporting Canada.” The Art Newspaper describes Honest Reporting Canada as an Israeli advocacy group that routinely harasses journalists who publish articles critical of Israeli policy.
Dublin City University has also advertised Fellowships with the Azrieli Foundation, including the Azrieli Foundation International Postdoctoral Fellowship.
Last May, following the encampments led by Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS), Trinity College agreed to full divestment from Israeli companies and institutions. In a statement released at the time, College wrote that they had a “firm commitment” regarding initiating “a process to divest from investment in companies that have activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory” and “appear on the UN blacklist”.
College have been contacted for comment.
