The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities expresses its support for ALLEA's statement regarding recent executive orders in the United States that freeze billions in federal research funding and impose censorship on research topics such as climate change and gender studies.
The ALLEA statement, published February 19th 2025, warns that these measures are forcing many U.S. science agencies and research organizations to suspend normal operations. The document emphasizes that such restrictions on academic freedom - whether through funding cuts, legislative oversight, or institutional interference - compromise scientific integrity not only in the U.S. but globally, due to the interconnected nature of the research ecosystem.
ALLEA expresses particular concern about these measures' impact on vital research programs in health, climate, and social sciences, and their effect on the next generation of researchers and professionals. Additionally, restrictions on U.S.-Europe data sharing jeopardize long-standing collaborations that have led to groundbreaking discoveries.
"Solid scientific knowledge and innovation are crucial for the endurance of societies and the well-being of citizens worldwide. High-level research is key to these, and academic freedom is crucial to making it possible,” says Academy President Prof. David Harel. “Political interference in research threatens not just American science but global scientific progress. We join academies across Europe in their call to protect the independence of scientific research and scholarly collaboration."
ALLEA, established in 1994 and representing approximately 60 academies from 40 European countries, is an organization in which the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities is a founding member. Over the years, representatives of the Israeli Academy have held senior positions in the organization's leadership, including Former Academy Presidents Prof. Menahem Yaari and Prof. Ruth Arnon, highlighting Israel's deep involvement in promoting international scientific cooperation.