The University of Johannesburg (UJ) senate has voted to discontinue its partnership with an Israeli university unless the relationship is “amended to include Palestinian universities”.

In a statement the university also said they would not “engage in any activities with Ben-Gurion University that have direct or indirect military implications.”

Ben-Gurion University has until the beginning of April 2011 to meet the demands.

Several notable South African academics and Archbishop Desmond Tutu had petitioned for UJ to terminate the relationship.

UJ's deputy vice chancellor Adam Habib said: "In developing this recommendation we were mindful that our recommendation would need to be consistently applied in other similar contexts."

Wendy Kahn, national director of the South African Board of Deputies, said the decision was “deeply regrettable."