Israel To Join CERN As First Non-European Full Member
Israel, targeted by an academic boycott campaign in some Western and developing countries, on Friday signed up to become the first Associate member of the CERN “Big Bang” particle physics research centre probing the origins of the universe.
Under an agreement formalised at the 20-nation CERN’s headquarters on the borders of France and Switzerland near Geneva, in just over two years’ time Israel will almost certainly become the first non-European full member of the centre, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research.
Several Arab and Muslim Asian countries - including Pakistan, Egypt, Morocco and the United Arab Republic — take part in CERN programmes and Turkey is one of the seven observers who can take part in meetings of the centre’s steering Council. Palestinian researchers also take part in its work.
In a news release on the agreement, CERN said Israel had supported Palestinian students studying and working there, as well as sending mixed Israeli-Palestinian contingents to its summer study programme.