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The European Union has provided over $250 million in research funding to Israeli institutions since 7 October, 2024, despite mounting criticism over Israel’s genocide in Gaza, reported Al Jazeera. Some of these funds have gone to organizations linked to Israel’s military industry.
On the day Israel launched its assault on Gaza, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen voiced strong support for Israel. “Israel has a right to defend itself,” she said in a statement, reiterating the EU’s alignment with Israel.
Since then, Israel has faced genocide accusations at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and indictments against its leaders at the International Criminal Court (ICC). Yet, the EU continues to fund Israeli institutions under its Horizon research and innovation programme.
Funding Military-Linked Organizations
Data analyzed by Al Jazeera shows that the EU awarded Israeli institutions over €238 million ($250 million) in research grants since the Gaza genocide began. Among the recipients was Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), a defense manufacturer, which received €640,000 ($674,000).
Though Horizon guidelines require funded projects to be exclusively for civil purposes, many technologies developed with EU support have dual-use applications—both civil and military.
More than 2,000 European academics and 45 organizations petitioned the EU to suspend funding to Israeli institutions, accusing the Horizon programme of advancing Israel’s military technologies.
“These funding schemes directly support Israeli military capabilities,” the petition stated. It highlighted the role of EU-backed research in Israel’s actions in Gaza, where tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed.
Dual-Use Technologies in Focus
Many Horizon projects in Israel focus on dual-use technologies. For instance, IAI developed drone mapping tools with EU funds for “emergency response.” Critics argue such tools can easily serve military purposes.
Elbit Systems, another defense company, received over €10 million ($11.2 million) under earlier Horizon frameworks. The company has strong ties to Israel’s Ministry of Defence.
A large portion of Horizon funds goes to Israeli universities. Scholars like Maya Wind argue these institutions are deeply embedded in Israel’s military industry.
“Israeli universities are pillars of the military-industrial complex,” Wind said. Institutions like the Technion and Weizmann Institute have spearheaded defense technology development for decades according to the Quds News Network.
