The EU's financial support for Israeli arms companies highlights a troubling disconnect between its stated commitment to human rights and its funding decisions. Greater transparency and stringent regulations are essential to ensure that EU funds do not contribute to the perpetuation of violence and occupation.
Israel and the EU Framework Programme
The EU's "Framework Programme" for scientific research, allocated €53 billion between 2007 and 2013, designates Israel as its main foreign partner. This partnership has made the EU the second-largest source of research funding for Israel, surpassed only by the Israel Science Foundation in Jerusalem. By 2013, Israel expected to gain at least €500 million in benefits from its participation in the programme.
A significant portion of EU funding has been directed toward “security research” projects, which have included collaborations with Israeli arms companies. These projects often claim to advance civilian and counter-terrorism objectives but may also facilitate the development of military technology.
Israeli Arms Companies in EU Projects
Motorola Israel and iDetect 4All
Motorola Israel has participated in the EU-funded iDetect 4All project, which aims to develop surveillance technologies for identifying suspicious activities near critical infrastructure. Motorola’s controversial role as a supplier of bomb fuses to the Israeli Air Force, including those used in attacks on civilians in Gaza and Lebanon, casts doubt on the ethical implications of its involvement. The surveillance technology developed under this project may also draw on Motorola’s experience with systems deployed in Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)
Another beneficiary of EU research funding is Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), a leading manufacturer of warplanes used in the occupied Palestinian territories. IAI is part of the “Clean Sky” initiative, which seeks to create environmentally friendly aircraft engines. Critics argue that such projects allow IAI to develop technologies with potential military applications, financed by European taxpayers.
Elbit Systems and Drone Research
Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest private arms company, is involved in the CAPECON project, which aims to facilitate the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in civilian airspace. Elbit’s drones have been used extensively in military operations, including attacks on Palestinian civilians and in conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. These drones have been described as inhumane and comparable to banned weapons such as cluster bombs and landmines.
Ethical Concerns and Human Rights Violations
The EU’s financial support for Israeli arms companies has drawn sharp criticism from human rights organizations. The use of EU-funded technologies in the occupied Palestinian territories, where Israel’s military actions are widely condemned as violations of international law, raises profound moral and legal questions. Moreover, the involvement of firms based in Israeli settlements, which are considered illegal under international law, in EU-funded projects undermines the Union’s own policies and principles.
Questions for EU Leadership
As the EU continues its research collaborations with Israel, human rights campaigners have called for greater accountability and stricter guidelines. Some of the pressing questions include:
- Will the EU reconsider Israel’s participation in its research programmes to prevent funding from reaching arms companies implicated in human rights abuses?
- How will the EU ensure that firms based in illegal settlements are excluded from receiving grants?
- What measures will be taken to prevent the use of EU-funded civilian projects for military purposes?