Hundreds of Jordanian university students have withdrawn from this year’s “Hult Prize” global competition upon discovering the participation of Israeli universities.

Engineer Ahmed Abu Diyya, Director of the Hult Prize campus at Al-Balqa Applied University – Polytechnic, announced his withdrawal along with all participating teams from his university, totaling up to 250 students as well as canceling all associated events and activities, as to redirect them into a local and/or national competition. The “Hult Prize” award, valued at one million US dollars, serves as a platform for youth and a global competition held in collaboration with the United Nations.

He emphasized that the complete withdrawal of students is a national and ethical responsibility as it signifies the unwavering Jordanian stance against normalization with Israel especially during the ongoing genocide. He confirmed that the withdrawal was a unified collective decision made by the national competition team in Jordan, organizers from Jordanian universities, and participating Arab countries from the Gulf to the Arab Maghreb.

The joint announcement of the withdrawal decision came after the global competition management insisted on involving Israeli occupation universities, including students who had previously served compulsory enlistment in the occupation army.

This stance starkly contradicts the principles of rejecting normalization in all its forms and names, which the students advocate for according to Dr. Diyya. The Doctor called for intensified efforts and support from social institutions and companies for Jordanian university students in general.

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This is part of the Wider BDS movement, which four days ago called for such a Boycott worldwide.

With BDS making the following statement: While Israel is now being tried in the International Court of Justice on charges of committing the crime of genocide, imposing international academic isolation on it and on its academic institutions that are complicit in these crimes has become an urgent legal and moral duty.”

Some Hult Prize Organizations responded to israeli involvement as Well: