About Indivisible
Indivisible: The Israeli Academy after October 7th, directed by acclaimed author and filmmaker Roya Hakakian, is a short documentary that examines the impact of international academic boycotts on Israel’s universities and hospitals in the wake of the October 7 attacks.
Filmed during a 2024 visit to Israel with a delegation of Yale faculty, the film features candid testimony from professors, doctors, students, deans, and university presidents.
These voices — Jewish, Arab, Christian, Muslim, and Druze — describe both the devastation of October 7th and the resilience of their academic communities as they continue teaching, researching, and treating patients under extraordinary strain.
Exposing Silent Boycotts
Indivisible exposes the so-called “silent boycott,” international experts who quietly refuse to review research, write recommendations, or collaborate with Israeli scholars.
One academic leader in Israel recalls being told by an invited reviewer: “I appreciate his [the candidate’s] groundbreaking work, but because of your government’s actions, I cannot write in support of his career.”
Such refusals, the film warns, undermine scientific objectivity and thus the foundations of global science.
Debunking Claims of Apartheid and Colonialism
The film investigates accusations of apartheid and colonialism, often cited by the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
Data and lived experience refute these claims: Arab Israelis earned nearly 20% of all bachelor’s degrees and 17% of all master’s degrees in 2021, commensurate with their prevalence in the population. Multi-ethnic faculties and staff work side-by-side on campuses and in hospitals.