New Delhi: Over 1,300 students and faculty members from India’s leading institutions, including IIT Bombay, IIT Kanpur, and IISc Bengaluru, have voiced their opposition to the forthcoming “India-Israel Business Summit” scheduled to be held in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The collective has expressed deep concerns over Israel’s role in ongoing conflicts and human rights issues.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the signatories of the protest letter have highlighted the ethical implications of India’s engagement with Israel, particularly in light of recent events in Gaza and the West Bank. They argue that the summit, by associating with Israel, indirectly endorses the nation’s military actions in Palestine, which they describe as “genocidal.”

The academics’ opposition centers around Israel’s alleged destruction of Palestinian educational and healthcare facilities, and brutal military operations in the West Bank. They are particularly critical of the Indian Institute of Science’s decision to sponsor the summit, pointing out a dissonance with the broader global academic movement that has seen institutions divest from Israel in solidarity with Palestinian rights.

The letter calls for the cancellation of the summit, positing that hosting such an event not only undermines the international community’s efforts to censure Israel’s policies in Gaza—where significant civilian casualties and displacements have been reported—but also contradicts India’s historical stance on supporting oppressed populations.

The signatories have urged Indian authorities to reconsider their stance and demonstrate their commitment to human rights by distancing themselves from the event.