On Monday, the European Commission proposed the suspension of Israel’s participation in parts of the “Horizon Europe” research program, due to the deterioration of the conditions of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
“While Israel announced a daily humanitarian stand to fight in Gaza and adhered to some of its pledges in accordance with a joint understanding of humanitarian aid and access, the situation is still dangerous,” the commission said in a statement on Monday. If implemented, the decision will affect Israel’s participation in the European Innovation Council.
This program falls under the “Horizon Europe” program and finances startups and small companies that develop dual -use technology such as cybersecurity, drones and artificial intelligence. Israeli universities and researchers participating in cooperation projects within the “Horizon Europe” program will not be affected by the decision.
The European Commission was based on recent results issued by the auditors of the European Union, which concluded that the actions of Israel in Gaza violate the principle of respect for human rights, which is one of the basic conditions in the partnership agreement that entered into force in 2000, which constitutes the basis of political and economic cooperation between the European Union and Israel.
The statement accused Israel in particular of restricting the delivery of humanitarian aid to about two million Palestinians living in the besieged Gaza Strip in recent months. The proposal does not require consensus unanimously from all European Union countries, as it is sufficient to obtain a “qualified majority”, that is, the approval of 15 out of 27, representing at least 65% of the union’s population to adopt the procedure.
The European Union ambassadors are scheduled to discuss Brussels on Tuesday, to determine how to move forward. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs was quick to condemn the recommendation, describing it as “wrong, regrettable and unjustified”, and warned that imposing sanctions on Israel at a time when it was fighting a war against Hamas “will only lead to strengthening” the armed group.
Israel confirmed that it would work to prevent the adoption of this procedure. Several countries in the European Union, including Germany, Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic, have repeatedly expressed their opposition to imposing sanctions on Israel.
